Fallen Future:: I ::The Path Of Shadows
by Emperor Andross
Summary: The Jedi Temple is attacked by a mysterious Dark Jedi, leaving 5 dead & Qui-Gon Jinn's Padawan Anakin severely injured. But the problem deepens when the attacker is revealed to be a former Jedi who supposedly died on Naboo 3 years earlier... 29 BBY, AU
1. Prologue: Future Fallen

When Obi-Wan Kenobi falls in the generator room on Naboo, he is presumed dead by his fellow Jedi. As his friends mourn, an evil shadow has captured Kenobi for his own evil ends, the injured Jedi has no chance of escape on his own – but how can he be rescued when no one even knows he's alive? Three years later when the Jedi Temple is broken into, Qui-Gon Jinn and his Padawan, Anakin Skywalker will make a discovery that leads them on a deceptively twisted path of shadows...

-|-

**STARWARS: Fallen Future**

Part I: Path of Shadows

* * *

**Dramatis Persona**

Anakin Skywalker – Jedi Padawan (human male)

Bant Eerin – Jedi Healer-Knight (Mon Calamari female)

Garen Muln – Jedi Knight (human male)

Qui-Gon Jinn – Jedi Master (human male)

Obi-Wan Kenobi – Jedi Padawan (human male)

Siri Tachi/Zora – Former Jedi Padawan (human female)

Jango Fett – Madalorian Bounty hunter (human male)

Ken Ibonek – Force sensitive bounty hunter/dark Jedi

Darth Maul – Sith lord (Zabrak male)

Yoda – High Jedi Master

Mace Windu – High Jedi Master (human male)

Adi Gillia – High Jedi Master (humanoid Female)

* * *

**STARWARS: Fallen Future**

Part I: Path of Shadows

* * *

**Prologue: ****Future ****Fallen  
**

**-|-  
**

The fight had gone on for much longer than anticipated by all involved. For over an hour the battle had raged, each side – two verses one, Jedi verses Sith – had severely underestimated the other.

Obi-Wan Kenobi was tiering. The long walk from the edge of Theed to the Palace where the battle had begun had been hard – even for the Jedi, when you considered the fact that he and Qui-Gon were responsible for the safety of a dozen other people in a heavy fire fight.

Obi-Wan parried yet another mighty blow from the unusual, double bladed lightsaber – a Saberstaff it was called if his memory served him correctly. It was said that the only one to have ever fully mastered the art of a Saberstaff was Exar Kun – a Sith Lord of millennia ago. _'If that where true'_ reflected Obi-Wan _'I wouldn't fancy a round with him.'_

Another block from the Sith, Obi-Wan could feel his muscles straining – Protesting against the prolonged usage. _-don't give up now Padawan.-_ came his masters voice through the training bond _-the end of the fight is near; I can sense it.-_ At hearing this he upped the anti on his attacks, throwing everything he had at the Sith Lord.

It was then that he noticed a slight flaw in his opponents technique, when he parried Obi-Wan's attack directly after Qui-Gon's, he left a large amount of the hilt exposed at the end closest to the blade he used to defend. Deciding to try to exploit this, Obi-Wan waited until the Sith struck at Qui-Gon again, the experienced master skilfully defended as Obi-Wan took another vertical swing at the Sith, angling at his left shoulder, the Zabrak brought his weapon around – the left blade rising to defend. at the last moment he angled across the body, the Sith responded by swinging away, but nevertheless Obi-Wan was rewarded by the smell of melting metal as the tip of his lightsaber brushed the end of the hilt of the Sith's weapon.

The dark lord let out a snarl and Obi-Wan let a brief smirk of satisfaction cross his face. He rushed in for another attack, striking his opponents blade down to the floor of the walkway. A second later the Sith's boot came flying toward towards his chin. It struck him a crushing blow. Causing him to drop his saber and fly off the walkway and down toward the darkness below…

* * *

Qui-Gon watched in horror as the Sith kicked Obi-Wan from the walkway and sent him flying down toward the darkness below. "Obi-Wan!" he called out in a half-shout. The Sith, sensing his distraction, launched at him with a flurry of blows. Qui-Gon blocked a high strike, before quickly lowering his blade to defend a blow at his hip, before pirouetting to strike at the Sith's own left hip – time seemed to slow. The blades of the two remaining combatants seemed to move impossibly slowly as his green blade arched in; the enemy brought his saberstaff over his body such that the lower blade was protecting his hip – the same side that Obi-Wan had hit a few seconds earlier. Just before Qui-Gon's blade reached the Sith's red one, the red blade sputtered and died, finally succumbing to the damage done by Obi-Wan's lightsaber. The Zabrak's eyes widened in shock and pain as the blade passed through his middle. Time sped back up again as the two halves of the Sith Lord slipped off the walkway and fell away into blackness, it was at that moment that bond with Obi-Wan flared with pain before shattering.

A loud "Noooooo!" joined the gentle humming from the generators. Qui-Gon's cry was filled with anguish, the bond breaking could mean only one thing – Obi-Wan Kenobi, was dead…

* * *

**AN: A very different ending to the one we're all familiar with. I hope that the fighting was okay, I'm generally not very good with lightsaber fights. Just to clarify: the fight here is the same as in the movie up to when Obi-Wan gets kicked of the ledge and lands on one below. Obviously here he scores a small hit with his lightsaber against Maul's hilt here and when he falls he misses the platform. Please R & R, it's my first fic so don't be to harsh, flames will be pointedly ignored.**

**Edit 21/11/08 - some clarification and rearranging.  
**


	2. Reaction

**STARWARS: Fallen Future**

Part I: Path of Shadows

* * *

**Chapter I: Reaction **

_"Something's wrong, I just know it, I don't know how and I don't know where, but something really, really bad's happened"_

– **Anakin Skywalker**

-|-

Anakin Skywalker landed the Nubian starfighter in the royal hanger of Theed, Still beaming in triumph. He had single handedly brought down the droid control ship – he still couldn't believe it! He couldn't wait to tell Qui-Gon about it! As he and Artoo reached the ground, they where surrounded by dozens of people and Gungans all running up to give him a pat on the back. His smile stretched from ear to ear as the many people congratulated and thanked him.

"Ani!" Anakin looked up to Jar-Jar bounding towards him. "Yousa do bombad!" exclaimed the Gungan giving him a pat on the back.

"Ani!" Came another shout and he turned to see Padmé running up to him giving him a quick hug. Anakin blushed. Now if only Qui-Gon where here. He thought, smiling. "Where is Qui-Gon?" he asked, Padmé looked up and scanned the room.

"I guess they haven't come back yet." She said with a slight frown. Master Qui-Gon and his Pada/Apprentice had been fighting a scary alien. Their fight had carried them out of the hanger as Anakin had inadvertently taken off, they hadn't been seen since. "I hope they're alright…" said Padmé, she turned to were Captain Panaka was. "Captain, Gather a few of your men, we've got to go and see if we can help the Jedi."

Anakin carefully remembered the strange man that the two Jedi had been fighting, even he had felt the darkness radiating of the Zabrak like a fume, he hoped Qui-Gon and the other Jedi where okay against that… Thing. As he watched captain Panaka gave Padmé a quick bow and turned to a group of his men, but at that moment the hanger doors opened and in strode Qui-Gon, his face set in an unreadable expression, his reddened eyes and lack of an apprentice trailing after him where the only that indicated something was wrong. Padmé strode forward towards Qui-Gon. "Master Jinn." She said "What happened?"

"The dark Warrior is dead." He answered flatly, stooping and scooping up both his and the other Jedi's cloak, "Congratulations on the Liberation of your planet, your highness. Now if you will excuse me I have to make a report to the Jedi Council. Anakin, can I get you to come with me." Without waiting for a response he turned on his heel and walked back deeper into the palace. After a quick glance at Padmé, who gave him a sad expression, Anakin jogged after him.

Anakin found the Jedi Master around the first corner, sitting hunched up against the wall, sobbing into his hands. Anakin stared in surprise; He could never have imagined that a Jedi would cry. "Qui-Gon Sir?" he asked hesitantly.

"I'm sorry Ani." Said Qui-Gon, "I'm not being a very good role model at the moment." He closed his eyes and gave a great sobbing sigh, seemingly letting go of his sadness.

"What happened to your Apprentice?" asked Anakin "Obi-Wan." He added remembering the other Jedi's name.

"He's dead…" replied Qui-Gon "No, not dead." He said as if trying to remind himself of something, Anakin stared blankly at him,_ 'surely he's either dead or he's alive and if he is the later why wasn't he here?'_ Qui-Gon closed his eyes and whispered softly, "There is no death, there is only the Force."

"What does that mean master sir?" Asked Anakin, puzzling over the strange words. "It's part of the Jedi code." Replied Qui-Gon slowly, "to remind us that those of us that pass on remain a part of us through the Force. 'There in no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no chaos, there is peace. There is no death, there is the Force.'" As he spoke a look of calm descended upon him, as if the words themselves where comforting him.

"Oh." Said Anakin not fully understanding him, but not willing to admit it. "How did he die?"

A look of pain crossed Qui-Gon's features as Anakin asked this and so he quickly added "It's alright if you don't want to talk about it…"

"No it's… you're fine Ani." Qui-Gon sighed, "But I will already have to explain it to the council, and I really don't want to have to tell it anymore than I have to at the moment." Anakin nodded in understanding.

* * *

Qui-Gon waked into the empty communications room of the palace, closely followed by Anakin. Empty. That was how he felt. Obi-Wan had been his almost constant companion for 12 years. And now, in one moment, he was gone forever. Fighting down the urge to cry again, he entered in the clearance code for the Jedi temple. He was supposed to be better than this – a Jedi should be focused on the situation. Instead he felt like he was awaiting a firing squad.

After informing the communications droid at the temple that he wished to speak to the Jedi council, Qui-Gon turned to Anakin, forcing a smile to his face he said, "So, you took down a battle ship all by yourself."

"How did you know that?" Anakin asked, then in realization he asked, "You didn't read my mind did you?"

Qui-Gon gave a small chuckle despite himself, "With you being so full of excitement, it's more of a matter of _blocking_ your thoughts out than reading them." He said. Anakin looked horrified at the idea that his thoughts where so easy to read. "Don't worry. Shielding your mind is one of the first things you'll learn when you are made a Padawan." He added quickly

"If I'm made a Padawan." Whispered Anakin "I'm afraid they won't make me one."

"Let go of your fear Ani." Said Qui-Gon gently "Jedi do not fear. You _will_ be a Jedi Padawan." A tone rang out from the communications station, alerting him that the council where ready to speak to him. A flick of a switch brought the 12 members of the council up in a semi-circle hologram in front of him. "Master Qui-Gon," greeted Yoda "Concluded your mission is I take it." He looked at Qui-Gon expectantly.

Qui-Gon nodded hesitantly. "Yes, the Queen is back in control of her planet and the Trade Federation viceroy is in custody." He dutifully reported, keeping a serine mask over his features.

"What's wrong then?" asked Master Mace Windu "And where is your apprentice?"

Qui-Gon's serine façade failed as Mace spoke. "He his at one with the Force." He interrupted, his eye's glossed with pain "He fell in combat against the Sith."

Yoda's eyes widened almost imperceptibly. He hardly ever reacted surprised and this was a pretty good indication of just how much Qui-Gon's words shocked him. His ears drooped sadly. "Tell us what happened, you must." He said

Qui-Gon recounted what had happened since leaving Coruscant, finishing with the dual with what could only have been a Sith. "I think we should go to Naboo and examine this 'Sith'. His affects could provide a clue as to where the other one is." Remarked Mace thoughtfully.

"Referring to the rule of two you are." Said Yoda, as Mace nodded, "I agree."

"Very well then." Said Qui-Gon heavily "I will remain here 'till you arrive. May the Force be with you." He switched of the comm. And fell back in his seat with a heavy sigh.

* * *

Meanwhile on Coruscant, Yoda slumped back in his own seat "Hmm. Sad day this is, a bright future I had seen for young Obi-Wan. Now, fulfil it he cannot."

"I must admit, I didn't think that Kenobi would fall so young." Said Mace, he sighed "He would have been a great Jedi. He'll be sorely missed."

"What are we going to tell his friends?" asked Adi Gillia

"Hmm thinking of your Padawan are you Master Adi?" Questioned Yoda

"Yes, Master Yoda." Replied Adi, "Siri, as well as young Bant Eerin, Garen Muln and Reeft will be devastated.

"We shouldn't tell them anything but the truth." Said Ki-Adi-Mundi. "To do otherwise would be to insult Kenobi's memory."

"Come to Naboo with us, they should." Said Yoda, "Young Obi-Wan's memorial we will hold there."

"I feel we should also contact Dooku." Said Mace "He will want to see the Sith, and he may want to give his former Padawan some comfort."

Yoda nodded "Do it, I will." He struggled out of his chair "Now, ready to leave we must get. May the Force be with you."

* * *

Siri Tachi keyed open the door to the quarters she shared with her Master Adi Gillia. She kicked off her boots and sank down into one of the sunken couches to the right of the door. She couldn't shake the feeling that some event somewhere had caused a large shift in the Force. The apartment door slid open and Siri looked around in surprise, "Master!" she exclaimed springing to her feet. "I wasn't expecting you back for another couple of hours."

"There's been an emergency situation." Replied her Master, "We need to be ready to go in a couple of hours."

"Why what happened?" asked Siri following her Master across the room to their Kitchenette "Where are we going?" Adi turned to her and sighed "You might want to sit down – this won't be easy to hear." She waited for Siri to sit before continuing. "While escorting the Queen of Naboo to Coruscant, Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi encounter a dark Warrior that Qui-Gon believed to be a Sith." Siri gasped, if the Sith had returned, that was indeed very bad.

Adi Nodded at Siri's reaction, "We instructed them to return to Naboo with the Queen in order to continue to protect her. It seems that the Warrior indeed was a Sith. It attacked Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan and although the two of them where able to destroy the Sith. I'm afraid Obi-Wan was killed in the fight."

Siri felt like her heart had stopped. "No." she whispered, tears welling in her eyes. Obi-Wan was one of her best friends, She had even fallen in love with him for a brief time, although they had both agreed to put their commitments as Jedi ahead of their personal feelings and had promised that they would not speak of their love again. "No." she whispered again, "You can't be serious."

"I'm sorry Padawan," Was the response. Siri couldn't stave of her grief any longer and dropped her head into her hands and sobbed. She felt Adi rest a sympathetic hand on her shoulder. "I'll give you some time, Padawan." Siri dimly heard her say. "But you'll need to be ready to leave in two hours. We're going to Naboo with the rest of the Council – among other things, that is where Obi-Wan's funeral will be held." Siri nodded automatically, she wasn't really listening, she was thinking about Obi-Wan and the last thing they talked about, she was sure that it wasn't about what his friendship had meant to her…

**

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AN: I'm not entirely happy about the way this chapter turned out, but I've been unable to think of a better way of doing it. What of Obi-Wan's fate? You'll have to wait until the next chapter to find that out. Hopefully that will be up later in the week. R & R. **

**PS: Large parts of this story and its planned sequel will be based on plot points of the _Jedi Quest_ series, with some references to _Jedi Apprentice_, before reverting to closer to the movies of episodes II and III.**

**Edit 21/11/2008 - clarification, rearranging and correction of spelling etc.  
**


	3. Goodbye To A Friend

**STARWARS: Fallen Future**

Part I: Path of Shadows

* * *

**Chapter II: Goodbye to a friend**

"_Why'd he have to die? I'd give almost anything to have a chance to tell him I still love him… that I always will"_

—**Siri Tachi**

-|-

"Now Viceroy, you're going to have to go back to Senate and explain all this." Said Queen Amidala coldly to Nute Gunray as some guards stepped up to escort him onto the Republic Shuttle.

"I think you can kiss your trade franchise goodbye." Said Captain Panaka; Qui-Gon frowned. He seriously doubted that much would happen to the Trade Viceroy as Amidala and Panaka seemed to think; the courts where corrupt at best, and someone like the Viceroy with vast amounts of wealth behind him, would hire the best barristers in the Galaxy. He would be very surprised if Nute Gunray got anything more that a slap on the wrist.

Qui-Gon straitened up as the newly elected Supreme Chancellor Palpatine started down the ramp, followed by the Jedi Council, as well as Obi-Wan's friends. He supposed that meant that the Council had decided to hold Obi-Wan's funeral here on Naboo. As the Chancellor approached, he bowed and was closely imitated by Anakin who stood at his side.

"We are indebted to you for your bravery Master Jinn." Said Palpatine with a small nod of his head, "And you young Skywalker, we will watch your career with great interest." He continued giving Anakin a brief pat on the shoulder before walking toward the Queen.

Qui-Gon bowed again as the Council approached him. "Sorry we are, for your loss Qui-Gon." Said Yoda "Retrieved young Obi-Wan's body have you?"

"No." responded Qui-Gon flatly "They can't get anyone down there until they retrieve the maintenance people from the camps. They say that they'll have them in by tomorrow."

"Then until tomorrow we'll wait." Said Mace "In the mean time we'll try to track down the Sith's ship."

"And what of Anakin?" asked Qui-Gon "His fate still needs to be decided."

"Decide that we will, when meet for our council tonight we do." Said Yoda, the Council moved away, heading after the Queen's entourage. This left Qui-Gon and Anakin alone with Bant, Garen, Reeft and Siri. "I'm sorry." Said Qui-Gon sadly.

Siri stared at him for a couple of seconds then stomped off after the masters, Qui-Gon looked at the others helplessly. "Don't worry about Siri," Said Bant sadly "She's just not taking this very well."

"We all miss him too." Added Garen before the rest of them moved off after Siri.

"They blame me for it." Qui-Gon sighed staring after Obi-Wan's friends.

"No they don't, my old Padawan," Said a deep from within the Republic transport, "They're just a bit upset."

"You're probably right, old Master." Said Qui-Gon, with the tiniest hint of a smile tugging at his lips. He turned to Anakin, "Anakin Skywalker, meet Master Dooku. I was one his Padawan, just as Obi-Wan is… was mine." Finished Qui-Gon lamely

"Glad to meet you, Master Dooku." Said Anakin, bowing politely as the ageing Master descended the ramp.

"I was surprised when you didn't get of the transport, with the others." Stated Qui-Gon.

"You shouldn't have been." Said Dooku, "If I go around with the others, I'll miss something; thirteen Jedi masters all together is a somewhat ambitious target even for a Sith. Remember there are always two, Qui-Gon, and I'm hoping to find the other one."

"Unfortunately, I think that Sith—skilled as he was—didn't have the skills to have planed this whole invasion." Said Qui-Gon glumly "There's a bigger fish than him."

"Which is exactly why I'm hoping to avoid attention and try to find someone acting suspiciously," said Dooku; "The master will be looking to destroy any evidence that the Apprentice left behind." He looked at Qui-Gon pointedly "Much like you, Qui-Gon. You haven't found Kenobi's Body yet and you've already got a replacement."

"It… It's not like that Master…" Spluttered Qui-Gon…

"Oh no, on the contrary, I'm proud of you; People should be chosen to be trained because they need to be trained, not because of pre-conceived attachments; that can come later if it comes at all."

"I don't see what you're trying to get at master." Said Qui-Gon

"Let go of Kenobi, Padawan." Said Dooku simply before walking away

"May the Force be with you Master." called Qui-Gon after him, he turned to Anakin "Let's go Anakin. I've go to talk to the Queen about a funeral." He placed a hand on Anakin's shoulder and steered him away.

* * *

Deep in the bowels of the Theed generator room, a Sith Lord known as Sidious stalked along a walkway just a single meter above the acidic sludge which was expelled from the generators. He and a couple of trusted servants where trying to find the body of the Sith apprentice – Darth Maul – before the Jedi could get their filthy hands on him.

"My lord, over here!" called one of the servants. Sidious made his way through the gloom along the walkways to where a figure dressed in dark robes lay, or rather, where the top half lay.

"His legs must have fallen into the acid, push the rest in after them." He said. He spat in distaste as the servant pushed the torso of his failure apprentice off the walkway and into the acid. "Let's go." He snarled as the torso of Maul sizzled and sunk.

"Wait my lord, there's something else over here!" Called another of the servants. Sidious made his way over toward the voice. "This had better be good Gret, or you had better like very hot baths." He gestured at the acid below.

Gret gulped "Yes milord." He answered, "There's another man down here; he's still alive." Sidious looked down at a young man dressed in cream robes, a thin braid of dark ginger hair ran from behind the man's left ear. The disgusting light filled presence of a Jedi hung around him; he was still alive.

"It's the Jedi." Hissed Sidious, "Shoot him." As Gret raised his blaster, the Jedi's eyes flickered and opened. "What's going on?" He asked "where am I? Uh… this is embarrassing, but, _who_ am I?"

Gret hesitated and looked at Sidious; who looked around impatiently "Hold your fire." He knelt down next the Jedi, "What do you remember?" he asked

"Uh… landing and everything hurting… then darkness." Replied the young man. A cruel smile reached Sidious' lips, _'This will work to my advantage.'_ He thought. But he said; "I'm glad I found you, The Jedi must have betrayed you, they're probably looking for you to finish you off."

The Jedi gulped. "Please, can you protect me?" he whimpered, "I can't remember anything. What my name is, where I come from…"

"Stand up there son." Said Sidious, helping Obi-Wan to his feet. "I'll make sure you can remember everything." Outside, Sidious' face was a picture of concern. Inside he was smiling. _'Oh yes, everything_.'

* * *

Siri stood at the edge of a small pergola overlooking Theed gorge. In the middle of the pergola in a sunken pit lay a pyre, large enough for a man to lie on. On the pyre sat a brown cloak, on which was placed a collection of holo-pics and a small model starfighter—the only personal affects of the late Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Siri had doubted at first—or rather refused to believe—that Obi-Wan was dead. Now there was no doubt. That morning they had finally gained access to the bottom of the generator room where the Jedi had found little ground besides a few catwalks. Below that was a vicious pool of acidic waste, after they had searched every square centimetre of the walkways. It was determined that Obi-Wan had landed in the acid where his body would have quickly dissolved.

A quick series of smart taps brought Siri out of her revere; she looked up to see Yoda standing next to the pyre, tapping his gimmer stick on the duracrete. "Gathered here tonight we are, to mark the day of young Obi-Wan Kenobi rejoining the force." Said Yoda in a clear voice, "Sad it is that he is gone, for those left behind. The Force, brighter it is for the adding of his presence, darker it is for the hearts of friends." He continued. "Master Qui-Gon." He called.

Qui-Gon slowly walked up to the pyre—a lightsaber that Siri recognized as Obi-Wan's in his hand. He ignited the bright blue blade and gently held it against the wood. The wood smoked for a few seconds before bursting into flames. The funeral party watched silently as the flames overtook the pyre, and the objects on top. In the flickering light of the fire, no-one saw a single tear drop slowly trail down Siri's cheek.

**

* * *

**

**AN: Well there it is. Thankyou to everyone who's reviewed the first two chapters, your feedback has been really encouraging (don't bother telling me about fragmented sentences though; I've never really got that particular rule of grammar). I originally had more in this chapter, but upon editing I found that this was a natural place to end the chapter before starting on a really heavy dialog scene. After the next chapter there is a gap of three years in the timeline. And most likely I won't be updating the story from then, on until I've written myself a bit further ahead (I've currently got to chapter 6 written down and plan to be at chapter 9 before I update any more, give me a couple of weeks…). To all those people who said in their reviews that they thought that Qui-Gon was going to sink into despair, thankyou – It's something that I actually hadn't gone to much into it in my first draft, and after the reviews I rewrote a section of the story giving that sub-plot more depth (which accounts for a large chunk of the next chapter).**

**Edit: 21/11/08 corrections of spelling etc**


	4. After The Funeral

**STARWARS: Fallen Future**

Part I: Path of Shadows

* * *

**Chapter III: After the Funeral**

_-"I'm worried about the effect that Obi-Wan's death has had on Qui-Gon, He seems to bottle up his grief rather than release in into the Force"_

– **Mace Windu**

-|-

An hour later found the gazebo empty except for Siri, Bant, Garen and Qui-Gon. The sound of Yoda tapping his stick as he approached threatened to change this situation though. Siri watched as the little green creature walked down into the sunken area and stood next to Qui-Gon. "Why sit you here like staring at the flames will bring Obi-Wan back to life, Qui-Gon?"

"For stars sake Master, I've just lost my Apprentice." Snapped Qui-Gon in a quick flash of rage "Is a Jedi not even allowed to feel grief anymore?"

"Allowed to feel grief, a Jedi is." Said Yoda with a slight bristle "Aloud to bemoan like a Bantha with a lost calf, a Jedi _Master_ is not!" in normal circumstances Siri would have laughed at Yoda's chiding of Qui-Gon. Attending her best friend's funeral though was hardly a normal circumstance; Siri's frown only deepened.

"Why do you want me to forget Obi-Wan so quickly Yoda?" asked Qui-Gon, "He was just a boy…"

"Just a boy, Obi-Wan was not!" stated Yoda firmly "A young man he was, a senior Jedi Padawan about to face his trials he was, and want his master to carry on like an injured Chiiruben, he would not!"

"That's not fair Master! You…"

"Think that miss him I will not?" challenged Yoda, cutting across him, Qui-Gon fell silent "Fond of the boy I was. The only reason I did not take him on as my Padawan after you refused was that too attached already I'd become to him." _'Wow Obi-Wan, you had connections.'_ Thought Siri, everyone knew the story of how Yoda had tried in vain for months to get Qui-Gon to take Obi-Wan as his apprentice, before a coincidental meeting on Bandomeer—where Obi-Wan had been sent as part of the Agri-Corps program—had forced them together. Siri had always assumed that Yoda was mealy following the will of the Force by trying to get the Master to take the Apprentice. Now… well she still thought that it had probably been the will of the Force, but perhaps Yoda's own feelings had influenced how hard he had pushed.

"Miss his bright presence at the Temple I will," Continued Yoda, "A great Jedi he would have been, a council seat I had foreseen for him. Miss many people that rejoin the Force I do, but if carry on like you I did, for every one of them, on a pedestal in the Room of a Thousand Fountains you could put me." Siri did snort with laughter with that. She heard a similar noise coming from Garen a few metres away to her right. But if Yoda or Qui-Gon heard them, they made no sign. Qui-Gon just stared at him "You're being heartless." He said at last, turning away from Yoda to look back at the dying flames.

Yoda's voice softened, "Miss young Obi-Wan you always will," he said "But accept that gone he is, you must. Let your grief flow through you then into the Force. Bottle it up and let it consume you, do not."

"Decided young Skywalker's fate the Council has," Siri heard the ancient Master say after a short pause. "Train him _you_ will." Siri felt a flash of anger, how could Qui-Gon take on another Apprentice so soon after Obi-Wan had died?

Apparently Qui-Gon was equally upset, though for different reasons, "I don't think I'm capable of training someone like Anakin," he said "I've lost one Padawan to Dark and one to death; I'd be a poor Master at present times with Obi-Wan's death anyway—Anakin deserves better."

"A copout that is." Said Yoda irritably, banging his stick on the ground for emphasis. "Wallow in your grief, you cannot. The problem of the boy you caused when from Tatooine you brought him, now you the problem will solve."

At that moment Siri almost felt sorry for Qui-Gon, he had lost his apprentice, he was now backed into an arrangement that he had made before Obi-Wan's death, he was in a lose, lose situation; the fact that he'd been willing to slight Obi-Wan for Anakin while he was still alive didn't make it into the equation at that moment.

"If train him you will not, send him back to Tatooine the Council will have to." Continued Yoda when Qui-Gon had not answered after a few seconds. "Until tomorrow I will leave you to decide." He turned to walk from the pergola. "Padawan Tachi. A word I need with you."

Wondering what Yoda could want with her, Siri gave Bant and Garen a quick hug, gave Qui-Gon a stiff nod and walked off after Yoda. "What do you need me for?" she asked Yoda as she caught up with him.

"Hmm a mission, we have for you." Said the small green master.

"But!" protested Siri "Obi-Wan has just died, I'm still feeling grief…"

"Know this I do, but no time we have to select someone else for this mission." Said Yoda "Uniquely suited to this mission you are."

Siri suddenly had a very bad feeling about this. "What kind of mission is it?" she asked hesitantly, curiosity overruling any other emotion she might have.

"An undercover mission it is. Heard have you, about a Slave trader called Krayn?"

* * *

"Report, Gray." Sidious stood in a small disused med-centre aboard a privet shuttle that belonged to him. A field medic—Gray—was one of Sidious faithful servants; he was doing an examination of the injured—and unconscious--Jedi.

"Two broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder…" reported the medic dutifully before he was cut across by Sidious,

"No, no, I don't care about that!" said Sidious "I meant his head condition."

"Oh." Said the flustered medic, he switched to another screen on his Datapad. "The Brain scan shows that he has lost almost all his conscious memories, which means that all his memories that tell him who he is, his name, who his parents where… basically everything except basic instincts like walking, talking although even then, some of his knowledge of more obscure words may be gone."

"He was a Jedi. Would he be able to remember his training?" asked Sidious

"No, not really." Replied Gray "He'd probably relearn things like his force abilities and lightsaber training pretty quickly though."

"What about his outlook on life? Personalty?"

"Personality will be pretty much the same; out look will be what you make of it." Said Grey "I would say that if you wanted, you'd be able to give him a new identity easily enough, and he'd never know if the story was built on distorted facts."

Sidious smiled "Will he be able to recover his memory at all?"

"It is possible, although unlikely." Said the Medic slowly "He may have the odd relapse where he remembers a thing from the past, those are extremely dangerous—It can completely unlock his memories if he has the good luck to remember a powerful one."

"So if he has a relapse, his usefulness has probably run its course." Said Sidious with a small smile, "Disposable assassins, I like that. Now I need to do a cover story for our young friend here…"

* * *

Qui-Gon sat silently staring at the dying flames of Obi-Wan's pyre; thinking over what Yoda had said to him. Once he had taken the time to sort through Yoda's typically contradicting statements he had found that he was probably right. _'Confounded troll,'_ he thought _'He is _always_ right.'_

As if to reinforce Qui-Gon's newly formed realization the raspy voice of Bant spoke up beside him; "Yoda was right you know." Qui-Gon turned to face the Mon Calamari who had come across to stand beside him. "As long as we always remember Obi-Wan and the things he stood for, we can never dishonour his memory by moving on."

Qui-Gon smiled grimly, "It's just a little harder to actually do it, than to say it." He said. Bant nodded sagely. Qui-Gon allowed a freer smile, "You should take over Yoda's job of consoling the inconsolable; you certainly have a way with words that he doesn't."

Bant smiled "Obi-Wan used to say practically the same thing."

Qui-Gon gave another small smile, "Great minds think alike." He said

"And fools seldom differ." Countered Bant good naturedly, Qui-Gon gave a small chuckle. "Despite what Siri evidently thinks, I think that taking another Padawan would be a good thing for you at the moment." Said Bant changing the subject; "It would take your mind off Obi-Wan's death."

"It just seems like betrayal so soon after Obi-Wan."

"That didn't seem to bother you when he was alive!" Said Bant, her eyes flashing dangerously; Qui-Gon flinched like he'd been hit. "I know." He said "It wasn't until his death that I realised… But it's too late now."

Bant nodded, "I'm sorry." She said. "In fact Obi-Wan seemed like the only one who wasn't upset by the business with Anakin." She smiled weakly "He was more upset that you where going against the council, again."

Qui-Gon chuckled, "I suppose I did… do make a habit of it." He sighed "Thankyou Bant, it's been good to talk to you."

"Garen and me where about to meditate to help release our grief into the Force." Said Bant; "Why don't you join us?"

"No thankyou, Bant." Replied Qui-Gon, he sighed. He reached out into the Force, drawing on the warmth that it offered, and then slowly, reverently. He released his guilt and grief into it. "I believe I have a 9 year old boy too offer an apprenticeship to."

**

* * *

AN: Now **_**that**_** was a hard chapter to write. In my first draft, this entire chapter was about two paragraphs tacked on the end of the previous chapter, not to mention it was just fiendishly difficult to try and keep the characters human enough while having them also seem Jedi enough. I'm not entirely happy with the result and this is about my third go at it, but I guess it does the job. As i luv ewansmile pointed out I hadn't included any of Obi-Wan's injuries from his fall, and I made a half hearted attempt to remedy the situation in this chapter. Also included are the eventual seeds of redemption for… but that would be telling… I don't know how long it will be before I update again, but by hook or by crook I will finish this story.**

**Edit 21/11/08 - spelling corrections etc.  
**


	5. ReEmergence

**Star Wars: Fallen future**

Part I: Path of Shadows

* * *

**Chapter IV: Re-emergence **

-Revenge time, the Jedi won't even know what hit them.—Ken Ibonek

--

Three years later…

Ken ignited his blood red lightsaber as half a dozen remotes flew at him. As he ran his lightsaber through a lightning fast defensive pattern, he thought back over his life – what he remembered of it anyway. Ken suffered from a severe case of amnesia and had woken up one day three years ago with no idea who he was. Fortunately, he had been befriended by a man who'd promised to help him. This man – Sidious – working through an agent, had unlocked some of his past.

The agent known as Jango Fett, had found that Ken had once been a Jedi apprentice, who had been betrayed and cast out of the order by his Master. Sidious had found out that his master had left him for dead on Naboo.

Ken swung his blade through the air, deflecting every bolt that came at him. _This is getting too easy._ He thought; Fortunately – as Sidious had said might be the case – his brain seemed to quickly remember his training with the Force, and he had worked extra hard over the last three years to improve both his lightsaber skills and his Force powers to better than how they would have been at the time of his betrayal. As he neatly deflected two more shots from the six drogues around him, he became aware of another presence arriving, "Oi Kenny, Good news!" called a voice. Ken used the newcomer's arrival as an excuse to leap high in the air, deactivating his lightsaber as he went and landed neatly out side the circle of remotes.

"Jango." Greeted Ken warmly. "Let me guess, you've found something with a bit more of a challenge than these stupid training remotes?" he asked the Madalorian who was just removing his helmet.

"Better yet." Replied the bounty hunter, "I've found out who your former master is." He said brandishing a holo-imager at him. Ken took it from him and flicked the image on. It displayed a middle aged man in Jedi robes, with piercing but at the same time soft blue eyes, beard and long hair of which a small tuft at the back pulled back into a pony tail. Across the top of the image was the man's name: "Qui-Gon Jinn?" read out Ken "He doesn't look like much. What else do you have for me?"

Jango pulled out a datachip and handed it to Ken. "Sidious is finally giving you a mission."

"About bloody time too." Said Ken in his mild Curoscanti ascent. "What does he want me to do?" he asked sliding the chip into a computer terminal, unable to keep a certain amount of glee out of his expression that had appeared at the prospect of going on his first mission.

"He wants you to break into the Jedi archives and steal some information for him." Replied the bounty hunter

At first Ken thought he was making a joke, but then he remembered that Jango just didn't joke about things like that; He stared at him for a couple of seconds. "Oh there's nothing like an easy first mission is there?" he said sarcastically at last. "That would be too easy." The file on the datachip came up with the layout of the Jedi Temple on the screen.

"Evidently so." Returned Jango, "Now then, the information you need is on a cult called 'the Sith'. Supposedly the information is assessable from a master terminal in the Archives." Said Jango indicating a room on the schematics labelled 'Library'. "Sidious said that he was able to 'acquire' the logarithms for the Master's Codes, but not the actual codes themselves. So he created a program on the chip that will run through the available codes until it can find the right one."

"Acquired? You mean stole. Where does he get all this stuff from anyway?"

"Same thing only different." Said Jango "He's a tip Ken; never ask your employer more than the bear essentials, in most cases you don't want to know."

"Well if everything goes a simply as Sidious seems to think, I'll be fine once I've reached the computer… now I've just got to get there." Muttered Ken

"Can't you just disguise yourself as a Jedi and walk through the front door?" queried Jango. "Surely with your 'Force' you could make yourself seem like any other Jedi, adjust your aura or whatever it's called."

"first; It takes an enormous amount of concentration to alter ones Force signature." Responded Ken. "Second; I'm an ex-Jedi and it won't do anyone, _any_ good if I'm recognized before my task is complete. I'm better off going at night, 'cause then I have less Jedi to worry about getting in my way and my concentration won't have to be as good. The only problem is that according to this, the temple doors are shut up tight during night hours."

"Make a new one then." Said Jango with feigned impatience. "That temple has got more than enough windows, look theres one in the archives." He jabbed at the layout display.

"Third story window," read Ken "Stained glass, depicts an ancient battle between Jedi and Sith." He looked up at Jango with an evil grin. "Oh dear, I'd hate for a hole to get put through that…"

"Oh yes, a _tragedy._" Replied Jango in the same tone, He gave a short laugh before going serious. "You have a check over that plan of yours and then go to bed – where leaving first thing tomorrow morning."

"Right boss." Joked Ken as Jango stood up and left. Ken shook his head, although Jango was technically just a message runner between him and Sidious, the two of them had become somewhat friends. Jango would sometimes teach him the way of the Mandalorians, and Ken would teach him the basic principles of lightsaber combat. He sighed and looked back at the remotes; he was going to have to be in top shape with the blade – just in case. So he stood up and walked over to the remotes to do a few rounds of practice before going to bed…

* * *

Qui-Gon gave a sigh as he stepped off the transport and into the familiar hustle and bustle of the Jedi Temple. He took a deep breath, taking in the hanger and the many Jedi milling around it – either leaving or arriving, or else performing maintenance to the various temple craft.

"It's good to be home, right Master?" asked a small voice from his right. Qui-Gon looked across at 12-year-old Anakin Skywalker who had come up to stand beside him. Qui-Gon smiled. "That it is, Padawan." He said. He looked at boy fondly; Anakin had grown about twenty centimetres over the past three years and had become a very competent young Padawan – particularly given his late start. He was eternally grateful that he had taken on Anakin as his Padawan, just as Bant had predicted it had given something to think about besides Obi-Wan's death. Although he had several times caught himself comparing Anakin to Obi-Wan, something he had tried desperately hard not to.

He looked back at the hanger. The two of them had just returned from a simple diplomatic mission – which had been tiering and tedious if not very eventful. After making their report to the Council, they made their way back to their quarters. _They're the same quarters that I sheared with Obi-Wan_, he reflected as they waked. It had been hard – after they had returned from Naboo – to take down the brass nameplate that read Jinn/Kenobi and replace it with Jinn/Skywalker, and he still plate – sitting in a box with some of the rest of Obi-Wan's Possessions; the ones he had not been able to part with. Even now, he couldn't see the new nameplate with out a slight pang.

He turned into the corridor that their room was in and immediately saw another sad sight, a nameplate reading Gillia/Tachi. Siri had left the Jedi a few days after Obi-Wan had died. Qui-Gon suspected – but knew nothing for certain – that her leaving had had something to do with Obi-Wan's death – they had been good friends for many years and had even been in love for a brief time before they had put the commitments of the Jedi in front of their personal wishes. Seemingly though, Adi Gillia didn't have the heart to admit to herself that Siri was never coming back; hence the nameplate was still there.

Qui-Gon reached the Jinn/Skywalker apartment and keyed in the sequence to open the door. He strode into the common area and threw himself into one of the couches, it was only then he realized that Anakin wasn't with him.

Trying to stave of a slight panic that arose in him he called out through the training bond, _-Padawan? Padawan where are you?-_

_-Oh sorry master-_ came the return; Qui-Gon gave a sigh of relief. Anakin continued _-I just met Tru in the corridors…-_

_-That's fine Padawan; just tell me next time you disappear-_

_-I did!-_ protested Anakin _-you just didn't listen-_

_-Oh, sorry, I guess I didn't hear- _replied Qui-Gon sheepishly

_-I noticed-_

Qui-Gon gave a chuckle as he cut off the communications across the bond. _It's been way to long since I was that young._ He thought to himself. He stood up and headed to his bedroom. Somehow he got the feeling that he would need the rest come tomorrow.

* * *

Ken stumbled into the cockpit of the _Slave 1 _just as the ship made the ump to hyperspace. True to Jango's word, the two of them had left their asteroid hideout on the outskirts of the Komino system at 0600 hours galactic standard time and had headed for Curoscant. Ken had been getting more sleep in the back of the ship and had just woken up, a quick glance at the clock showed it was now 1103 hours.

"We've just left the Sor'unida System," said Jango noticing that he had entered the cockpit. "We're on our final jump to Curoscant."

Ken nodded, securing his obi, belt and lightsaber which he had taken off for sleep. "ETA?" he asked

"About 1800 hours." Replied Jango

"So according to my plan, that gives me five hours to kill once we reach Curoscant before I go to the Temple." Said Ken "Any idea what to do during that time?"

"Well normally I'd suggest that we hit up some clubs…" said Jango "However. I don't think I'd recommend drinking before this particular mission." Ken nodded, and Jango continued. "But maybe I can introduce you to some of my good contacts on planet."

"as good an idea as anything else I suspect." Said Ken, settling down into the co-pilot's chair, then changing the subject he asked "So since we've got 9 hours until we reach Curoscant, what do you say about a game of holo-chess."

* * *

2230 hours Jedi Temple – Curoscant

Qui-Gon paced restlessly up and down in the common area of his and Anakin's Quarters. Something was wrong – he knew it. _'I've got a bad feeling about this' as Obi-Wan would have put it._ He thought.

Making a quick check to assure himself that his lightsaber was on his belt, he strode purposefully toward the door. "Something's wrong, isn't it Master." Came Anakin's voice from behind him. Qui-Gon paused and turned around to see his apprentice fully dressed and clipping his recently constructed lightsaber to his belt.

"Apparently enough of something to wake you up." Responded Qui-Gon. "I can tell there's no point in telling you to go back to bed, so hurry along Padawan."

Anakin nodded gratefully and hurried to his master side "I won't let you down Master." He promised. Qui-Gon smiled, sometimes Anakin could sound so much like Obi-Wan, that just the sort he would have said – more worried about failing Qui-Gon than their own safety. His smile faded when he remembered that ultimately he'd failed Obi-Wan on Naboo. _No_ he thought _it will _NOT _happen again!_

**AN: There you are, another chapter up. Just in case you're wondering the last two sections are the day after the first two. So the first confrontation between Ken Ibonek and the Jedi is coming up in the next chapter. Geri K, the idea for the bit about Sidious calling Obi-Wan son comes from episode III where Palpatine says to Anakin "I need your help son." Just before he elects him to the Jedi Council, therefore he says it as an affection; not because he actually is his son. Also as of this chapter we are in the timeline of **_**Jedi quest: path to the truth.**_** Hope you enjoyed the chapter, I should have the next one up in a couple of days.**


	6. Fight For The Temple

**Star Wars: Fallen future**

Part I: Path of Shadows

* * *

**Chapter V: Fight for the Temple**

-Sense something strange I do, a presence I have not felt in a long time has returned, but different it is, muted, and know who it is I do not – Master Yoda

--

Jedi Temple – 2300 hours

Ken surveyed the approaching Jedi temple through electro-binoculars, as he balanced on the roof of a hover-taxi which was in a sky lane running that ran past the temple. From where he was – about a kilometre away – he could see the window into the archives; the stained glass reflecting the engine glows of the constant traffic moving past. He noted that there was a fairly wide still on the out side of the window – Good, that would make it far easier for him. By now he was only three hundred metres away for said window and already had the outside of the temple flashing past to his left. Taking a step to the side of the hover car, he nonchalantly threw the pair of electro-binoculars over his shoulder before leaping of the Taxi and landing neatly on the window still. _Phew, that's stage one out of the way._ He thought

Pulling out his lightsaber, he ignited the scarlet blade and plunged it through the stained glass of Nomi Sunrider facing off against Exar Kun. Dragging the blade in large circle, he cut a human sized hole, and then, using the Force, plucked the plug out of the hole and ceremoniously dropped it to shatter as in hit the permacrete hundreds of floors below.

"This is too easy." He said to himself. He stepped through the hole and dropped two stories to the ground; using the Force to slow his decent and laded with a soft thump. He swept over to one of the computer terminals and slipped a little data-chip out of his utility pouch and into the terminal.

A small screen popped up in relation to activating the pass-code breaker, Ken hit the enter button and sat back in the chair as the program ran through all the codes on the masters logarithm. A few seconds later the grogram flashed green and announced that it had found a code and used in to gain access to the master's security level. With a smile, Ken entered a search for 'Sith'. A moment later about a screen popped up stating that the search had found ten-million results, He down loaded them all. A timer came up: five minutes.

A sudden curiosity came over Ken, he entered into the search 'Ken Ibonek'. The screen came back a second later saying 'No results found for 'Ken Ibonek'.' Ken frowned; he entered in just 'Ibonek'. 'No results found for 'Ibonek'.' Came the response, 'partial entries include _Inborek, Ibbonock, Bornek, Kebon and Kenobi._' Ken's frown deepened; why was there no record of him? Had the Jedi erased all record of him? Or did they keep no record of Jedi that where classified 'Deceased?'

Sighing, Ken closed window, the down load below was still running: three minutes. _This really is_ way _too easy._ He thought. No sooner had the thought entered his mind than he heard footsteps approaching. "Great." He whispered to himself "like Jango says, 'When something looks too good be true, it usually is.'" He switched of the computer screen, and ducked into a corner, throwing up a Force illusion trick that he'd been taught by Sidious to disguise himself a part of the wall.

A few seconds later, two Jedi – a master and his apprentice – strolled in, talking quietly to each other. The walked down through the archives with agonizing slowness looking around as they moved forward. _A patrol._ Ken realised, _Idiot, why didn't I realise that there was bound to be_ some _security wondering around._ His mind moved onto another angle _damn you Sidious, why didn't your _maps_ show the patrols?_

At last the Jedi headed to leave, Ken let out a small breath of relief… too soon. Just at the two patrolling Jedi reached the entrance, the computer terminal that he was working on emitted a loud beep – nominally alerting him that the download was finished. The two Jedi of course heard it, and started to walk in the direction of the workstation.

Realizing that if the two Jedi reached the terminal they would realise there was an intruder anyway, Ken swore out loud ("Blast! I knew this was too good to be true.") And leaped out in front of the startled Master and Padawan team, igniting his scarlet lightsaber as he landed. The two Jedi fumbled for their own weapons, both blades lighting up in identical shades of blue.

Not wanting to give the Jedi time to centre themselves; Ken rushed the Padawan who was on the left with an over head strike. The young Jedi parried and Ken brought his lightsaber up behind him to block the master's blow at his kidneys. He leaped into a back flip over the masters head, the Padawan – rushing in for an attack of his own – was caught off balance, stumbling forward and causing the Master to have to deflect his own Padawan's wayward attack.

Ken struck again and again, always striving to position himself so that he only faced one attacker at a time. _This is easy_ he thought _and here I was_ worried _about fighting the Jedi._ Out loud he said, "Are all Jedi this weak? Or is just you two?" the Master ignored him and stuck at him with a vertical strike, Ken swatted the blow aside and continued his swing around in an attack the Padawan's chest, he was forced to pull out though and raise his blade up into a vertical block against the master's attack at his own chest. He leapt back to evade a stab at his ankle by the Padawan, catching the blue blade on his own he dragged both blades up to intercept the master's next attack. As the two blue blades clashed Ken dropped his own and with a deft flick of his wrist, decapitated the younger Jedi. A scream of "No!" left the master's lips but before the Padawan's head had even hit the ground, Ken whipped around and impaled the older Jedi through the chest with a back handed stab. The two dead bodies slumped to the ground.

With a sigh of relief Ken extinguished his lightsaber and straitened his hood of his cloak where it had slipped over his eye. He walked over to the computer terminal and pulled the data-chip out – slipping it back into his utility pouch. He looked around; _jumping back up to the window to escape is out of the question_. He thought, to escape that way he'd have to jump at such an angle as to get through the hole at the peak of his jump since there was no still on this side; the problem was that the jump would take him past the still on the other side causing him to plummet to his death.

"Looks like I'm taking an excursion through the temple." He said to himself, switching of the computer and feeling extremely jealous of Jango's Jetpack. Stepping over the mangled corpses of his earlier battle, he made his way over toward the entrance of the archives. He slipped through and out down the corridor; if his memory served him correctly, just ahead was the Room of a Thousand Fountains, a large garden used by the Jedi for rest, relaxation and meditation. And on the other side of that was the corridor to the great entrance hall of the Jedi Temple.

He stepped out into the large expanse that was the Room of a Thousand Fountains on a catwalk suspended a good ten metres above the ground. he stopped dead. At the other end of the walkway where two more Jedi – another patrol. _Blast, not this again!_ Ken decided that now would be a good time to utilise a Force technique that Sidious had mentioned in a hologram at some stage. He concentrated on gathering the Force around him, packing the energy into a tight ball between his hands which he held close together, then threw the now visible glob of energy at the two Jedi, who seemed to have only just realised he was there. The trick worked better than he had anticipated; the crackling energy sphere hit the floor right in front of them and exploded with the force of a grenade. Both Jedi went flying – their presences winking out in the force – the walkway bucked and broke at point of the impact, dumping Ken unceremoniously down onto the ground floor.

A woman came running toward him "Are you all right? I heard the explosion and…" she stopped short as Ken rolled to his feet and ignited his lightsaber. She narrowed her eyes and lit-up her own green blade. "Who are you?"

"Ken." Said Ken as smoothly as if he'd simply been asked whether he preferred white wine or red wine more. "Or Kenny if you want." He continued, allowing a hint of mocking to creep into his voice. "And of whom do I have the pleasure?"

"Master Soara Antana." Replied the woman raising her lightsaber into a high defensive position; Ken charged her, running with his sabre held high as if for an overhead strike, but at the last moment leaped into a flip over her head, striking down in mid jump. The surprise on her face was palatable as she blocked at the last second. Ken landed on the other side of her in a crouch, sweeping his lightsaber blade back at her knees. The Jedi sprang over it and came at him with a diagonal swing at his shoulder. Ken parried and swung upwards at his opponent's hip. The blow was masterfully blocked and the next moment he found himself falling to the floor after a vicious smack in the face with the pommel of the Jedi's lightsaber. He landed flat on his back, the breath knocked out of him, he saw a green blur speeding down at his throat and he kicked out blindly with his left leg, which made contact with the Jedi's right knee with a satisfying pop and sent the woman to her knees. In a flurry of movement Ken scrambled to his feet and with a flick of his wrist decapitated the woman, just as more Jedi entered the room at a run.

**AN: Sorry, I apologize profusely for not having updated sooner. This chapter was originally longer and extended to the end with Ken leaving the temple, but this seemed like a good place to break it. Next chapter Qui-Gon will finally learn who Ken is (as if you guys haven't already guessed) and the story will begin to move into its middle stages. The force attack that described above (which will feature prominently in this story and possibly its sequels) is supposed to look like the attack that Mewtwo uses in the first Pokémon movie (sort of a black sphere with purplish lightning arching around it). I've done some cover artwork for this fic and if you want to see it just go to my page and click the link in the little bit I've written about this story. Next chapter will hopefully be up later today.**


	7. The Path Of Shadows

**Star Wars: Fallen future**

Part I: Path of Shadows

* * *

**Chapter VI: The Path of Shadows**

-It can't be… It _can't_ be! – Qui-Gon Jinn

--

Qui-Gon knew the second that he entered The Room of a Thousand Fountains that the souse of his bad feeling was coming from in here. He looked across the room as Anakin ran up behind him, in the middle of the raised path that was the main walkway through the room, two combatants where locked in a fierce dual, Red clashed against green in a deadly dance of skill and power. The room's artificial lighting was switched off and so the room was almost completely dark, but Qui-Gon was sure it was Master Antara – one of the temples lightsaber instructors – duelling the dark Jedi, whose identity it was hard to even guess as he or she wore a billowing cloak that hid his body completely.

Even as – with a brief nod to Anakin – he and his Padawan sprinted towards the fight, Antara seemed to gain the upper hand, flooring her opponent with a vicious blow to the head with her lightsaber hilt. But in that moment the dark Jedi kicked her in the knee which dislocated with a loud pop sending the master herself to her knees. The dark Jedi sprang to his feet and sliced her head off, the lightsaber instructor's head rolled to a halt at Qui-Gon's feet, her face forever frozen in pain and shock. Anakin gave a gasp of surprise.

"YOU!" snarled the Dark Jedi as he turned to face them, His voice one of unspeakable rage. "_Master_ Jinn." He spat, his voice lent a mocking ring.

"Wha- Who are you?" asked Qui-Gon in confusion, It couldn't be Xanatos… he was dead, he had died over fifteen years before on Telos. No Qui-Gon was sure he had no idea who this person was, although evidently the intruder knew him.

"Oh aren't I privileged?" said the other man sarcastically "You don't even recognize me… Well let's just say that I am someone you betrayed. Master Jinn." He turned to Anakin with – what Qui-Gon imagined he would have seen had the intruders face not been covered by his hood – a cold sneer. "I wouldn't trust Jinn here if I where you, boy." He said, "Did you know that he failed and betrayed two of his former apprentices? And that he turned on me and left me to die?"

Anakin shook his head "your wrong." He said firmly, the dark Jedi ignored the response and turned back to Qui-Gon. "But I survived Qui-Gon, I'm not the same person you betrayed now, I'm someone stronger… and now I'm going to show you why when you betray and attack someone you should always make sure they're _DEAD." _ He made a motion as if to clasp his hands together and the next thing Qui-Gon knew he was instinctively diving out of the way of a dark sphere of energy that the Dark Jedi had thrown at him. Qui-Gon turned his dive into a shoulder roll and came up in his feet just as the energy ball hit a fountain some distance behind him. The structure exploded as if it had been hit by a bomb. A feeling of cold descended on Qui-Gon – that fountain could have, would have been him if his excellent reflexes hadn't reacted in time and thrown him out of harms way.

_-Watch out for any more sneak attacks Padawan.-_ he called to Anakin through the bond, _-We'll take him together, try to keep him between us at all times.-_

Anakin nodded and the both of them threw themselves at the dark Jedi, Anakin going for a low swing at the man's left, Qui-Gon going high on the right. Their opponent looked as calm as one crossing a country lane, he simply stepped out of the way of Anakin's strike and blocked Qui-Gon's with a casual deflection before swinging around at Anakin's head. Even as his apprentice was ducking under the attack, Qui-Gon was launching a vertical attack at the dark Jedi's head, who brought his blade around and parried it with out so much as batting an eyelid.

The fight continued on like this; the three of them trading blows, Qui-Gon moving in a dazzling array of strikes in his favourite Form IV, Anakin swinging heavily at their opponent with basic form V. While the dark Jedi moved in a strange mixture of Form II and III making no great effort to attack, or move from between the two Jedi. At first Qui-Gon thought that this was simply because they where overwhelming him, but quickly realized that although they where taxing him a _little_, he was mostly just humouring them. _Trying to lull us into a sense of false security._ He realised. Obviously his opponent didn't know him as well as he thought if he thought that _he'd_ take the bait. But then, he mused, the technique seemed to be working well on his apprentice; frustration and impatience radiated through the bond like a heat, and Qui-Gon was sure that somehow the dark Jedi was aware of this and was baiting him further by angling himself so that his back was almost constantly turned to Anakin, creating the impression that he wasn't taking the twelve year old seriously.

_-careful Padawan-_ called Qui-Gon to Anakin _-Don't do anything rash…-_ he was too late as Anakin sprang at their opponent's back, his sabre raised back past his shoulder as if to simply bludgeon his way through, leaving himself wide open for attack. Fortunately the other man was blocking a strike from Qui-Gon and so couldn't get his lightsaber around; instead he kicked back violently, catching Anakin right in the stomach, sending him flying.

The next thing Qui-Gon knew he was on the wrong end of a flurry of blows as his opponent switched from defence to attack, switching to form IV as he did so. As he was pushed back Qui-Gon found that he was anticipating his opponents moves, the style was eerily familiar, almost exactly the same as… something clicked in Qui-Gon's mind, he knew this style, had trained it's wielder since he was a chid, his opponents hood slipping from his face as he ducked an attack from Qui-Gon left no doubt. The ginger hair, the blue/green eyes, the features of…

"Obi-Wan." Qui-Gon breathed as the two of them locked sabres. He couldn't believe it, he didn't _want_ to believe it, but here the proof was staring him right in the face. "Please, tell me it's not true." How could have good, kind Obi-wan turned dark? It seemed to defy logic. Apparently Obi-Wan derived a different meaning form Qui-Gon's words though, because his eyes flashed dangerously.

"What's the matter _Master_ Jinn? Are you that surprised to see me still alive?" Qui-Gon's onetime Padawan sneered in a voice so dark and cold that it seemed no wonder that Qui-Gon hadn't recognized it. "It takes more than a little fall to get rid of _me!_"

Their sabres where still locked as Qui-Gon saw Anakin creeping up behind Obi-Wan, at the last second the boy leaped at the fallen Jedi igniting his lightsaber has he jumped, Obi-Wan's eyes widened as he pulled back from Qui-Gon, reversing his grip on his lightsaber…

Anakin gave a grunt of pain as the momentum of his jump carried him into Obi-Wan's reversed blade, impaling him through the stomach. "NO!" Qui-Gon heard himself scream, Looking up from Anakin's crumpling form to Obi-Wan's face, a face which wore a mocking sneer of triumph. _How could you?_

For an impossibly long moment time seemed to freeze, Anakin hit the floor with a dull thud, Qui-Gon's gaze was torn between him and Obi-Wan's dreadful sneering face. But then Obi-Wan went on the attack again, driving Qui-Gon back away from Anakin, and up to the top of a small cliff – a waterfall running down the front. _The same cliff that Bruck fell to his death from in his fatal dual with Obi-Wan._ he dimly realized, that seemed like so long ago now. It was ironic that this dual would finish – one way or the other – at the same spot. He wondered if Obi-Wan had simular thoughts.

He stepped backwards into the water where it flowed through its shallow creek bed before tipping over the waterfall; he continued back through the water, Obi-Wan followed him. The two of them slipped and stumbled on some of the more slippery rocks as they stepped up the other side. Obi-Wan all the while continuing his flurrying assault. Qui-Gon leaped over a low swing before aiming a blow at Obi-Wan's head, which was deflected and Qui-Gon found himself defending an attack at his waist. He parried a second attack at his other side and then swung at Obi-Wan's arm which was skilfully evaded.

Qui-Gon took another step back and felt the ground crumble away from under his heel; he was at the edge of the cliff. Obi-Wan came at him with a powerful overhead strike and Qui-Gon raised his own blade to meet it. But just as the two blades where about to touch, Obi-Wan's red blade disappeared as he deactivated the weapon and Qui-Gon's blade passed right through where it would have been, throwing him off balance for a crucial second, in that time Obi-Wan reignited his blade and battered Qui-Gon's from his grip. It flew off into the bushes. Qui-Gon sunk to his knees in surrender.

"There!" gasped Obi-Wan, panting heavily, holding his lightsaber to Qui-Gon's neck.

"If you hate Jedi so much, why did you come back to the temple after three years?" asked Qui-Gon also panting

"I was looking for something."

"Did you find it?"

"Possibly."

"And what where you looking for?" asked Qui-Gon "Old memories?" he laughed bitterly. A strange shadow passed over Obi-Wan's face.

"What I'm looking for is none of your business." He said in his most dangerous whisper, a voice so cold it made Qui-Gon flinch.

"Did you plan to kill me in the same place you killed Bruck on purpose?" asked Qui-Gon changing the subject "You've always been one for irony." For a second he was sure that he saw a flicker of confusion in Obi-Wan, but such a thought – if indeed he did see it – was quickly squashed.

"I have nothing more to say to you." Said Obi-Wan, raising his lightsaber. But as he held it there, poised to strike down through Qui-Gon, the two of them heard steps in the corridor outside the room of a thousand fountains, as well as several snap-hisses of lightsabers springing to life. It sounded like a couple of dozen people coming, rapidly. Just for a second Obi-Wan froze, his eyes locked with Qui-Gon's and a message conveyed between them, _you can't win_ said Qui-Gon's eyes. "We'll meet again." whispered Obi-Wan. He sprang back, deactivating his lightsaber, and was instantly swallowed up by the surrounding darkness.

_Anakin_! Was the first thing to enter Qui-Gon's mind, he scrambled to his feet and sprang down the cliff – using the force to break his fall – and hurried over to his injured apprentice. The lightsaber wound ran right through him from his stomach and came out just to the side of his spine. Qui-Gon winced; the wound had to be extremely painful.

Anakin's eyes fluttered open and met with Qui-Gon's own. "Did you… Get him…," he asked, obviously struggling to get the words out. He tried to rise but Qui-Gon pushed him back down firmly.

"Shh, settle down." Said Qui-Gon "Save your strength, concentrate on using the Force to heal." He bowed his head, "As for your question, no, he escaped."

"I… I'm sorry… M-Master." Whispered Anakin, "I… I'll try to heal…"

"Do, or do not." Said a gravely voice and Qui-Gon and Anakin looked up to see Yoda walking toward them, "There is no try."

"Master Yoda." Croaked Qui-Gon, the little green master nodded.

"Yes, here I am." He placed a hand on Anakin forehead "Sleep, you should." He said, giving the boy's mind a gentle prod and sending him into unconsciousness. Yoda closed his eyes and Qui-Gon could feel him sending healing waves through Anakin's body. Pulling out his communicator, Qui-Gon spoke into it "Can we have a healer to the Room of a Thousand Fountains please?"

"Already here master Jinn." Spoke a raspy voice behind him.

"Bant." Said Qui-Gon, turning to look at the Mon Calamari who was now one of the main healers; and also one of Obi-Wan's oldest friends. She nodded slightly and then turned to Anakin "What happened?" she asked.

"A dark Jedi." Said Qui-Gon quietly, he couldn't tell her it was Obi-Wan, not yet. Bant nodded and moved to assist Yoda with Anakin. "Qui-Gon." Called a voice, and Qui-Gon turned to see Mace Windu beckoning. With a groan he got up and walked over to him. Mace didn't dillydally "What happened here?" he asked as soon as Qui-Gon reached him, "Fountains smashed, Walkways mangled, three Jedi dead here, plus two more in the archives and I'll be a Taun-Taun if they aren't connected, and…"

"And an Apprentice severally injured." Interrupted Qui-Gon hoping that he would take the hint and leave him to go back to his Padawan, unfortunately he didn't. "Yes, and Anakin's injury." Agreed Mace either not picking up the subtle protest, or ignoring it, Qui-Gon didn't know and cared even less which. "So what happened?"

"It would appear that a dark Jedi broke in." Said Qui-Gon in a dry tone that almost bordered on disrespect. He watched as the healers rolled Anakin onto a stretcher – Yoda, still deep in meditation healing him. Qui-Gon turned back to Mace "And apart from wrecking havoc with a lightsaber, it seems that he used some sort of Force Energy-ball on the fountain, and it seems the walkway probably received the same treatment."

Mace raised an eyebrow, "Force Energy-ball." He asked incredulously

"Like a ball of pure energy that exploded on contact with solid surfaces." Replied Qui-Gon, giving his best description of the ability that Obi-Wan seemed to have picked up somewhere along the line. "He seemed to create them through the Force." He made no effort to hide the impatience that tugged at every fibre in his body; he should be with Anakin, not talking about details that could be discussed later.

"Who is this guy?" exclaimed Mace "Using the Force like that to create such destruction? He's obviously no slouch with the blade either." He shook his head "It takes someone a cut above the ordinary to beat Soara Antara, or disarm you for that matter." He finished with a pointed glance at Qui-Gon's empty lightsaber clip.

Qui-Gon shifted uncomfortably. "I was… distracted." He shrugged. He didn't want to have to tell the council about Obi-Wan being the intruder just yet, apart from just plain not wanting to talk about it, what would the council say about another of Qui-Gon's apprentices turning dark? Would they take Anakin from him? He knew that such where selfish thoughts, but at the moment he didn't care – Anakin seemed about the only thing in his life that was going right at the moment, and even that had taken a major blow with his severe injury, it would be a large blow to the boy confidence, even assuming that there was no permanent physical damage.

"Know you do, who did this." Stated Yoda from behind him, causing him to jump; he hadn't sensed the old master approaching. Qui-Gon looked around at him and also spotted the healers begin to leave for the healers ward. Qui-Gon made to follow them, but was stopped by Mace resting his hand on his arm. "Qui-Gon, this is important." He said.

"As is my apprentice." Said Qui-Gon irritably, wanting nothing more than to be with Anakin at the moment.

"Qui-Gon." Said Mace warningly.

"Alright yes, we've met before." Qui-Gon's temper was rising "now can I go and look after my Padawan? I want to be there when he awakens."

"Wake up soon, he will not." Said Yoda flatly, "Vital it is, that the identity of our attacker is known-"

"FINE! IT WAS OBI-WAN!" snapped Qui-Gon much louder than he'd meant to. Everyone in the room stopped whatever they where doing to look at the three of them. Partly no doubt to watch the extraordinary sceptical of a Jedi Knight shouting at two senior council members, but also because of the words that he had said; the story of Obi-Wan Kenobi was a rather well known story; the tale of how Qui-Gon had lost two padawans, both on what would have been their final mission before knighting. "OBI-WAN WAS THE DARK JEDI, HAPPY NOW?" he continued venting all his confusion worry concern and annoyance. "CAN I GO AND LOOK AFTER MY PADAWAN NOW?"

Whatever response Mace and Yoda had been expecting it certainly wasn't that. Yoda's face showed no surprise, but his ears drooped as if someone had tied weights to them. Mace wore an open look of surprise, his eyes wide and his mouth was hanging slightly open, Qui-Gon would have found it rather funny had he not been so cross with him. The worst response though, came from Bant,

"NO! It _couldn't_ be!" Qui-Gon looked around and saw Bant standing where she and the other healers had been tending to Anakin – she stood alone now as the other healers had left with Anakin, not wanting to incur Qui-Gon's fury – she had tears surfacing in her large silver eyes, "It _couldn't_ have been him, Obi-Wan would never… could never to do this." She waved a hand around at the destruction of the temple.

Qui-Gon softened his expression "I'm sorry Bant." He said, and then stalked off after the healers before anyone could stop him.

"I don't know whether we should feel relieved that Obi-Wan's alive, or horrified that he's turned dark." Said Mace, once Bant too, had left. "I remember all to well you saying that Obi-Wan might be the only one who can truly aid the chosen one in his quest."

Yoda shook his head. "hrmm, if once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny." He said "Stopped he must be, powerful young Kenobi is, much destruction he could cause…"

--

* * *

**AN: And with those foreboding words, I'll finish off this chapter. Bet you didn't expect me to do **_**that**_** to Anakin did you? Will he survive? Ha! I'm not going to tell you… well not yet any way. This marks the end of the first part of the story, from here, we move onto the search and eventual confrontation between Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon. Also in the next few bits some important characters will be introduced that although only have a small part in this story will have much larger parts later on in the series, most of the characters you will recognise from Jedi quest if you have read that, as well as a few OCs. Also Jango starts questioning Ken's (Obi-Wan's) loyalty to Sidious and Siri will re-enter the story. I appreciate all the reviews – it's really encouraging, I always tend to think of my stories as a bit of a drabble, so thank you to every one who praises the story. The constructive criticism is really… well, constructive too. Please more.**


	8. Aftermath

**Star Wars: Fallen future**

Part I: Path of Shadows

**Chapter VII: In the Aftermath**

* * *

-I'd like to say it doesn't really bother me that another of my apprentices has turned to the dark side, but I'd be lying if I did. Is it something about me? Or am I just really unlucky? – Qui-Gon Jinn

--

"Anakin's what?" gasped a young initiate, the news of the last night events had spread through the temple like wildfire, at least the general gist of it had that there had been an intruder and that at least one Jedi Knight was dead; the details where still somewhat lacking. This particular initiate Darra Thel-Tanis was an girl of twelve years; she had golden/red hair and rust coloured eyes. She and three other initiates or to be precise _two_ initiates and a _Padawan_ as Lawrence liked to remind them sat at a table in the rectory, talking about the rumours that had been going around.

"Anakin's in a Bacta tank." Repeated Lawrence 'Sandy' Ger'whit; he was a human male with ash-blond hair and green eyes, he was the only one out of the four of them who had been taken as a Padawan, having been being taken by Master Muln two days before, Darra didn't really know too much about him though he had usually kept to himself until just recently. The boy continued "Master said that they'd brought him into the healers last night 'cause of course, Master's friends with healer Eerin apparently he had a stab wound right through his middle A lightsaber stab wound."

"A sparing accident?" asked Tru Veld, he was a Teevan male with silvery skin an almost photographic memory; he usually used this ability to memorize technical data-spreads and manuals, hence he could recite almost every technical fact about most common space craft, droids or holo-devices.

Sandy stopped halfway through a mouthful of juice. "Sparring accident?" he repeated incredulously, "No way, it was that intruder last night. Apparently he was a dark Jedi, and he killed some of the Jedi on the patrols, he stabbed Anakin and even disarmed Master Qui-Gon." He shivered slightly. Darra shared his sentiments on this; Qui-Gon Jinn was by reputation, one of the best swordsmen in the order, capable of besting even a Sith it seemed unlikely that he could be beaten by anyone of average sword skills.

The fourth member of their group was less believing, Ferus Olin was a human boy with dark brown hair with blond strikes through it, he was often referred to as the _Perfect_ Padawan by his peers and some of the masters. He was also a no-nonsense person and this crossed his lines, "Oh yeah sure, good one Sandy" he said. "And I bet he disarmed Master Jinn with just one strike too."

"I'm not making this up!" protested Sandy.

"There was a huge shift in the Force last night," said Darra thoughtfully "The wardens where talking about it this morning and remember last night? When we all woke up at the same time at about 2330?" she caught Sandy's grateful expression out of the corner of his eye.

"And the Room of A Thousand Fountains was cordoned off this morning…" added Tru

"But…" protested Ferus, although he didn't look as sure as he had of his previous assertion. "But if you had an enemy as skilled as Master Jinn at your mercy, why would you let him live?"

"You would if half the temple turned up before you _could_ kill him." Said a voice from behind them, the four youngling jumped they hadn't heard anyone approach them. And yet, there, standing over them was the aforementioned Qui-Gon Jinn. "Or at least that's the best hypothesis I can come up with." He looked dreadful, his eyes where all puffy and his eyes had bags under them as if he hadn't slept and his hair was a mess. Nevertheless, he still carried himself with the pride and dignity of a Jedi Master, and as such, the Padawans scrambled to their feet and bowed.

"Master Jinn." Said Ferus respectfully.

"We're sorry to hear about Anakin." Added Sandy.

"Is he going to be okay?" asked Tru.

"Are _you_ okay?" Asked Darra, vaguely aware how stupid the four of the must sound.

"I'm fine thankyou." Said Qui-Gon wearily. "And Anakin will be fine too; he's in a Bacta tank at the moment and probably won't be out until tomorrow evening." He sighed, "Next time you come across rumours like this, Initiate Ger'whit, please keep the information like this to yourself, we don't need the whole temple discussing what happened before the councils even had a chance to meet over it." Sandy went bright red and sat down in shame murmuring something about being 'Padawan Ger'whit now'. He was the same as Ferus in that respect in that respect neither of them liked being told off.

As Qui-Gon gave a quick nod and walked away, Darra leaned forward and whispered, "That wasn't very nice, it's hardly like he hasn't gone against the council on a whole stash of issues." It was quite true, reflected Darra; Qui-Gon Jinn had a reputation for being a maverick amongst the Jedi. She shook her head something had been off about Qui-Gon in that encounter.

Qui-Gon heard Darra's comment as he walked away, but he didn't go back to reprimand her for it She was correct after all, normally he went against the council if he believed strongly enough about the subject. And he usually would have encouraged the rumours correcting the wrong parts of course on the basis that he thought that it was good for the common Jedi to know what was going on around the temple. The way the council did things it was unlikely that an issue such as this would fully available until after the council had discussed and meditated on it, days at the very least, and, far too long in Qui-Gon's normal opinion. With this issue though both that Anakin was severely injured, and that it had been Obi-Wan who had broken in he just didn't want anyone to know anything about it until he himself had had a good chance to reflect and meditate on it.

He knew now that Anakin would be alright – he hadn't budged from his seat in the waiting room until the healers had assured him of that – now he was left to think of Obi-Wan. He had absolutely no idea what would have caused him to go dark; ever since the fiasco of Malida/Daan he and Obi-Wan had sheared a very strong bond – one of the strongest in the temple – surely that couldn't have been broken with just a few misjudged words at the end. He had been wrong to (for lack of a better word) 'drop' Obi-Wan for Anakin at the end like he had, and he'd meant to apologize for it after they had returned from Naboo – to explain that he would have been ready for the trials before then had he not selfishly held him back – He'd never got the chance.

He collected some food off the buffet and sat down to eat, '_the force has a very bad sense of humour.'_ He decided. He was half way through his meal, when his comlink buzzed, he knew that tone – it meant that the council wished to speak to him. _Blast_! He thought _no prizes for guessing what they want._ He got up grumpily; this was not going to be pleasant.

* * *

Ken barged into the warehouse that he and Jango where using as a hideout while they were on Coruscant and marched over to where the Mandalorian sat on a crate reading a data pad. "You get it?" asked Jango without looking up.

"Yeah." Replied Ken "_Unfortunately_ I had to kill a few Jedi that got in the way; it was good to give good ol' master Jinn a fright though."

Jango gave an insincere smile. "did you kill him?"

"No unfortunately the whole kriffing temple decided show up before I could finish the job." Said Ken with a sour expression "Is something wrong? You seem a little… distant."

Jango's expression hardened. "I don't trust Sidious – certainly not as much as you do."

Ken folded his arms "He's never given me a reason not to trust him. And besides you _do_ trust him." He didn't want to be having this conversation, he was still rerunning the night's events over in his mind, how he'd fled the Jedi temple before the hundreds of Jedi had reached him, numbers that even the Sith lord on Naboo couldn't have defeated… he frowned _Where did that come from?_ He wondered, as far as he knew his only experience with Sith lords was his stealing of the Holocron copies which now rested safely in his utility pouch. _It must have been a dream from at some point_, he concluded. He was shaken out of his thoughts by Jango's laugh as he continued their conversation – completely oblivious to his friend internal thought chain.

"HA! I trust Sidious about as far as I can kick him – which despite being a further that most sentients, is still no great distance." Jango made a face "I associate with him because he pays well and proper. I tell you, he's not just interested in the information on the Sith because he read about them in the library and wanted to find out more about them – I think he wants to become one."

_So?_ Thought Ken "Why bring this up now?"

"because despite what he says, I'm not sure he has your best interests at heart."

"Why _now_." Persisted Ken

"He said that if you were successful in the temple that you where to be given another mission."

Ken's heart leaped, he was being sent on another mission! This is what he'd always wanted to do for the last few years, go from one daring mission to another. Not sit around training all day! "Well." He said impatiently "What is it? What's the mission?"

"It's an assassination for a slave trader named Krayn, but that's not the point." stated Jango. "I fear that Sidious is using you."

"Like I said before." Said Ken, his voice full of frost at the fact that someone was verbally attacking the man that had rescued him from the Jedi. "He has never given me a reason to doubt him."

"Well he's given me _plenty_ of reason to doubt him." Said Jango shortly. "Do you think that I can really find out as much about your 'past' as I apparently have?" Ken felt as if someone had punched him with a durasteel glove. Jango continued; "I haven't found out _anything_. And let me tell you in the time that Sidious gives me off – that I'm apparently looking for something in – I couldn't have gotten much more than your _name_." Jango looked at him with a hard expression as Ken tried to digest the information he was been given "No. All I do is tell you what Sidious tells me to tell you. As far as I know he's made your whole life's history up, I've checked the republic records, there is no mention of a Kenneth Ibonek matching your description in fifty years."

As Ken's mind struggled to make sense of the information he was being given, every thought in his mind screamed in protest. "I don't believe you." He said finally, in full denial. His hazy brain making up the only possible reason why Jango would expel such bantha pooda, he asked, "Who's making you do this Jango? Who's making you tell these lies?"

The answer that he got back was the last thing he wanted to hear; made worse by the fact that he could tell that Jango was being truthful "No one. They're not lies Ken." Ken's world came crashing down around him as he heard those words, it couldn't be true, it just couldn't be, but then Jango wasn't lying either. He no longer knew what to believe. His confusion turned to frustration, he could feel anger spreading through every bone in his body, consuming him. It was a satisfying feeling – one that told him he didn't have to believe Jango, it was far easier to believe what he had for the last three years, that the Jedi had betrayed him, that Sidious had rescued him that, the galaxy was in simple black and white terms. "Get out of my sight." He snarled at Jango

"Wha- I'm telling the truth Ken, I…"

"Get out of my sight, NOW!" shouted Ken, in a burst of rage he levelled his right hand at Jango and a bolt of searing white lightning shot from his finger tips, causing the bounty hunter to crumple to the ground in pain. Ken stood frozen in shock for a moment at what he had done, then quickly turned and fled from the building.

* * *

Qui-Gon strode into the council chamber, purposely keeping an air of impatience about him. He had no interest in receiving a dressing down from the council and had no qualms about letting them know that fact. "Masters." He said tartly with no more that a quick jerk of the head.

"Hmm, wish to be elsewhere you do." Stated Yoda

Qui-Gon resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "There is no point in me being here to give answers to questions I've already answered in no uncertain terms last night." He said breezily, if the council was going to tell him off, he might as well get strait to the point and be done with.

"Yes. Heard that a few people on the Outer Rim might not have." Said Yoda, a small twinkle in his eyes "Louder next time you should be." Despite the situation, Qui-Gon had to struggle to keep a straight face, as apparently, did some of the council with varying success. Mace he noticed, without the slightest bit of surprise, remained completely unmoved.

"It's actually on that issue that we primarily called you here for." Said the aforementioned council member. _Ah yes, here it comes._ Thought Qui-Gon _Don't raise your voice inside the temple, or you behaved worse that an initiate last night or something like that._

Mace shifted uncomfortably in his seat, "We – Yoda and Me – Owe you an apology." He said at last.

"I… What?" said Qui-Gon starting in surprise. Mace was a proud man and never gave apologies unless he was proven to be indisputably wrong. Which given his incredible insight into the Unifying Force, was very rare. Qui-Gon quirked an eyebrow questioningly. Mace sighed and continued. "We should have given you more consideration given what had just happened to your Padawan. We were short with you and for this I apologize."

Yoda nodded in agreement, "Nevertheless, more control you must have." He said, accenting the last three words with taps of his Gimmer Stick. Qui-Gon once again resited rolling his eyes, leave it to Yoda to apologise and criticise in one sentence. Yoda looked at the floor, ears drooping slightly "however, sensed that young Obi-Wan it was, I should have."

"Which brings us to our second point." Said Mace "Given you were Obi-Wan's Master. We hoped you might have some idea where he would go."

Qui-Gon shook his head. "The man I fought last night was not my Obi-Wan, he may have once been, but the Obi-Wan that I knew could never have killed five people – Jedi no less- without batting an eyelid. I don't know where this Obi-Wan would go…" he closed his eyes and took a deep breath "having said that, he seemed to have a strong connection to a few of the places we visited during his apprentiship; Phindar; Gilten;" he sighed and hesitated slightly "Melida/Daan. Although in that case I don't know whether it was a connection to the place or to the cause." He didn't air his more privet belief, that he'd stayed there because of a connection with Cerasi herself.

"Hmm, in the vicinity of Melida/Daan young Reeft is. Ask him to investigate we will." Said Yoda

"In the mean time," said Mace "We will be assigning _you_ to the main investigations. We will also assign Bant Eerin, Garen muln and Padawan Ger'whit, as well as initiates Veld, Olin and Thel-Tanis. The last three are there for investigative experience only and may _not_ accompany you away from the temple, understood?"

Qui-Gon's eyes widened "You're making quite a point of including all of Obi-Wan's old friends in this investigation." He remarked

"Do you doubt the council's decision?" asked Mace in a tone that was meant to quell a negative response but failed dismally.

"With all due respect Mace, yes I do." Said Qui-Gon "Bant and Garen have only recently being knighted and are inexperienced with this type of investigation inside the temple walls, I have the distraction of a _severely_ injured Padawan. This is quite aside from the fact that the three of us knew Obi-Wan better than anyone else in the temple."

"Yes, yes, a good test this will be for them." Said Yoda

"It could be also be easier doing their first investigation at the temple." Added Ki-Adi Mundi

"And as for you, Qui-Gon." Said Mace "You will get involved in the investigation at some point anyway, so we just thought it would be easier to include you from the start."

"Thanks a lot." Said Qui-Gon sarcastically. "Fine then, I'll do it."

"May the Force be with you." Nodded Yoda Qui-Gon sighed and bowed, before walking out of the council chamber.

* * *

**AN: So baring more unexpected complications Anakin is safe, all you who were worried about him can breathe a sigh of relief. Sorry I took so long to update, I've been doing a lot of reconstruction of the later parts of the story which made it necessary to rewrite some parts of this chapter, including the confrontation between Jango and Obi-Wan. As you've probably guessed, Siri will be making an appearance in the next couple of chapters albeit under the guise of Zora, will she recognized Obi-Wan? You'll have to wait and see. Thank you, everyone for reading and I look forward to your reviews.**


	9. The Subtle Truth

**Star Wars: Fallen future**

Part I: Path of Shadows

* * *

**Chapter VIII: Subtle Truth**

-"What have I done? What kind of person does _that_ to a _friend_?"- Ken Ibonek

"Obi-Wan, how you could have done this?"- Qui-Gon Jinn

,

Ken walked along one of the thousands of raised carriageways that crisscrossed across the mid levels of Coruscant, He hadn't stopped moving since he had left the where house that he and Jango had been using as a hide-out. He no longer knew where he was; not that that mattered, a quick touch of the force would solve that. But his mind was far away from where his physical self was, it was, for the hundredth time, running over what had happened in the where house. '_How could I have done that to a _friend_?'_ Was the thought that ran continuously through his head. When he had been in the Jedi Temple he had used the force as a destructive weapon of course, but there he had done it simply wanting to rid himself of an obstacle, he had acted without any sort of passion, except of course, when he had tried to destroy Jinn, just detached disinterest.

When he had attacked Jango, he had been furious; he'd wanted to cause _damage_. He had not wanted to listen to the lies that Jango had been telling him and so he'd used his anger to turn the Force into a weapon for the express purpose of attacking someone. An idea that thrilled him as much as it horrified him, the sheer _power_ that he had felt for those few half-seconds had been elating; but the knowledge of the pain that he had inflicted caused a tremendous amount of guilt. So rapped up in his own little world was he, that he didn't notice as a dark figure steadily closed up behind him.

"You seem a little uneasy, my friend." Called a voice from a couple of meters behind him. In a flash, Ken spun around, eyes blazing as his lightsaber flared to life, casting a scarlet glow across the street. The glow illuminated a man of similar height to himself, dressed in a cloak and hood. Even under the close scrutiny of the red blade, his face was hidden, draped in the dark shadows that seemed to cling unnaturally to his face. Despite this, Ken could feel his feel his force signature; it was his friend.

"Sidious." He greeted with a slow smile. He deactivated his lightsaber "it's been a while. I didn't expect to see you in person." He said.

"I wasn't planning to, but then I suddenly had the strangest feeling that it would be a good idea to have a chat with you... You know what I mean?" Replied Sidious merrily.

"I do indeed." Said Ken, "In fact if you where force sensitive, I'd almost say it was an impression from the force." He smiled; how could anyone think that someone like Sidious could betray him? He clipped his lightsaber back onto his belt and instead brought out the data-chip that he'd stolen from the Jedi Archives. "Ah, thank you my friend." Said Sidious as he handed the priceless chip over, "But you look upset, tell me what the problem is."

"Its nothing." Replied Ken, but even in his own ears that sounded false. Ken had never seen Sidious' face – he had said it would be best if he didn't – his face was always hidden under the shadow of his hood. However, Ken could just imagine a look of critical exasperation. He sighed, "I used the force to create lightning and attacked Jango with it."

"Why?" asked Sidious mildly without any hint of judgement about him.

"I… I was angry. He said something that upset me and I got angry and attacked him." Said Ken "He's still alive, but I hurt him." He lowered his head "And the lightning felt all wrong."

"Ah. Don't worry about young master Fett now." Said Sidious "I'm sure he'll be fine. And don't worry about the lightning either, I'm sure it just felt wrong because of who it was, not what you where doing. You know I read some of that material on the force before I passed it on to you, I don't know if you remember, but it said that 'force lightning' was a power that only the most powerful of Force Adepts could use, you must be powerful indeed." Sidious turned his face up toward the sky as if he where about to repeat a great wisdom. "Remember, your emotions give you strength and power, don't shun them, control them, harvest them." His voice had taken on an almost mystical quality. "The Jedi don't realize that emotions are what makes the Galaxy go round, it causes conflict yes, but it also gives people a reason for being, thus a man fighting with his passion is always stronger than one without. That they don't realize this is the Jedi's strongest weakness."

Ken pondered what Sidious had said, he was so _right_. Without emotion, a being was nothing. "I think I understand." He said; he was still not quite sure that the lightning had felt wrong _just_ because he'd been using it on Jango, but he felt much better about the whole thing now, everybody let their anger get the best of them sometimes, and the lightning could be a useful tool.

"Good." Responded Sidious, his voice back to it's raspy self. "Now I don't know if Jango told you, but I have another assignment for you."

Something about a person named Krayn." Said Ken, Sidious nodded.

"He's a slave trader, one of the most feared in the galaxy, he operates out of Nar Shaddaa." said Sidious, he tutted. "He's a simple schoolyard bully, mostly bark rather than bite, perfectly happy to use others to do his dirty work, and to get in while the getting's good. But he'd turn tail and flee as soon as he as he is actually in _danger_." He shook his head in disgust. "Ah, but he pays well, so I'm told. He came to me to see if I knew anyone who could handle an assassination."

"And why can't he get off his rear end and _murder_ this person himself?" asked Ken.

"Ah my naive friend, the republic would know perfectly well what Krayn is and what he does, but because he operates outside of republic space, and since he has unimaginable ties to various influential governments, they can not take him on legally. Not directly anyway. But, if he where to become involved in a murder or something like that, his other activities would probably be enough to put him in the kennels for life. So he'll just use bounty hunters, assassins and mercenaries to do his dirty work for him."

"According to my knowledge of republic laws, that is just as illegal as actually pulling the trigger anyway." Said Ken dryly

"Only if you can prove it."

"And since there is no paper trail," said Ken, catching on, "It's more dangerous for the contractor if he's caught, and thus the employers have to pay more credits."

"exactly." Said Sidious, he passed Ken a data-pad. "Here, this has the coordinates of Krayn's slave market on Nar Shaddaa. This assassination shouldn't be any problem for you…"

Ken nodded. "thank you." He said. He turned back the way he'd come and began to walk away. Suddenly the memory of the red and black worrier returned to him, the Sith; with his red blade spinning. He turned back to Sidious with a smile. "Good news bye the way." He said "I think that I'm beginning to recover some of my memories."

"Really." Asked Sidious in interest, "What makes you think that?"

"Before when I was talking to Jango – before our argument – I had a quick flash of a red and black striped Zabrak carrying a double bladed lightsaber, and the impression of 'Sith'."

"It _could_ be." Said Sidious slowly, "It may be prudent to have another scan when you return from Nar Shaddaa. Just in case."

With a quick smile and a nod, Ken turned and walked away. As he disappeared from sight, the remaining cloaked figure changed his expression from a fake smile into a very real snarl; it looked like he'd gotten even less out of Kenobi than he'd bargained for. He would now have to dispose of him immediately, lest he defect back to the Jedi. At least he gotten him to steal the Jedi's Data on the Sith – it always payed to know just how much your opponents knew about you. He pocketed the small chip and walked off cackling as he imagined ways of getting rid of his now expendable assassin.

* * *

Qui-Gon stood near the laser banner that was been used to cordon off the Room Of A Thousand Fountains, Bant stood a little more than a meter away as they waited for Garen who was rounding up the younger members of they're group.

"I just can't believe it would have been Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, him dying I could take, but not him turning to the Dark Side." Said Bant "I will not believe it's possible – no matter what happened to him – he's just too _good_."

"But that's just the thing Bant," responded Qui-Gon heavily "We have no idea what he's been through, and without understanding that there is little we can do to help him…"

"You know of course that most Jedi believe that once you have started down the path of shadows there can be no return…"

Qui-Gon nodded, "The council believes that this will be a search and destroy mission."

"I cannot accept that." Said Bant "surely Master Yoda could…" but Qui-Gon shock his head, "I think Yoda believes that you cannot return from the Dark Side. Mace might help us; he once told me that he feels like he's in a constant dance with the Dark Side, but even so, he's only one voice among twelve. I'm afraid that we may have to defy the council on this one."

"Do you think that he can be saved Qui-Gon?" Bant asked

"I hope so with all my heart." Evaded Qui-Gon, he didn't know what he believed, he wanted to believe that Obi-Wan could return to them, but then his own experience with Xanatos wasn't exactly comforting. '_But I'm older and wiser now.'_ He thought to himself, '_I had a stronger bond with Obi-Wan than Xanatos, I know him better, I _can_ bring him back, I will _not_ fail.'_

"Have you told Garen yet?" asked Bant suddenly, shaking him from his thoughts.

"No." he replied "No I haven't told Garen yet."

"Where going to have to; imagine how he would feel if he finds out in the course of the investigation or even worse, doesn't until it's over."

"Don't worry Bant, I'll tell him."

"Tell who what?" asked Garen as he came sweeping toward them with four twelve year olds trailing behind him. He stopped a couple of meters away.

"Good to see you again Garen." Said Qui-Gon. "Although it's a pity about the circumstances."

"Good to see you too Master Qui-Gon, and of course it's always great to see Bant." He smiled cheerily at them both. "This is Darra Thel-Tanis, Tru Veld, Ferus Olin and my Padawan Lawrence Ger'whit." He said pointing them out in turn.

"We've met." Said Qui-Gon stiffly, remembering the conversation in the Mess Hall. Unfortunately, all this reaction succeeded in doing was making Thel-Tanis frown at him.

"Well then." Said Garen "Shall we get this party started?"

Qui-Gon nodded, "Bant." He said "You take the tree initiates with you and begin the autopsy on Master Antana and the others, I dare say that will be more exiting than the other job."

Bant nodded, "Come on then." She said to the initiates as she ducked under the laser banner and into the room of a thousand fountains, she spoke to the three young Jedi as they followed after her "Now we'll start by taking them to the healer's ward, and…" Qui-Gon stopped listening as he turned back to Garen.

"I'll take it we get the terribly exiting job of looking over the surveillance tapes then." Said Garen brightly.

Qui-Gon nodded, "We'll have to pull all the footage from the surrounding buildings too." He said walking toward the temple's communications room. As he walked briskly along, Qui-Gon noticed a change had occurred in the temple's atmosphere. The normal calm and peace of the Temple was been replaced by a feeling of tension and anticipation. It reminded him strongly of the time when Bruck and Xanatos had been sabotaging the Temple from the inside out, particularly after the attack on Master Yoda, that had been just after he had retrieved Obi-Wan from Melida/Daan and he'd been put on probation._ 'Maybe I should have just left him there'_ he thought savagely _'At least than I wouldn't have had to get close to him only to have him torn away again.'_ But he knew in is heart that he didn't really believe that. Even at the very least for the fact that had he left Obi-Wan there, he was sure the boy would have died, and he couldn't have lived with the knowledge of that.

The three Jedi, led by Qui-Gon stepped out onto a walkway raised high over the hall below, hundreds upon hundreds of columns stretched through the massive expanse of the entrance hall as dozens of Jedi meandered around them. No, he didn't for one second think that his life would have been any better if he he'd left Obi-Wan behind, the boy had taught him to trust again, how to love, without him he would have sunk farther and farther into his disposition that he'd developed after Xanatos until it destroyed him from the inside out. Obi-Wan had saved him, and now Qui-Gon felt he needed to return the favour.

Qui-Gon looked up to discover that his feet had automatically led him to the door of the temple communications room, and that now he stood there in front of the door staring at it blankly. "Qui-Gon?" he heard Garen ask hesitantly from behind him. With a shake of his head, Qui-Gon shook off his thoughts, "Sorry." He said "I was thinking of something else." He looked back at Garen and his apprentice who were standing patiently behind him. _'I have to tell Garen.'_ He thought, he'd already decided as much when he'd spoken to Bant, but now he realized that he needed to tell him _now_; once they started it would be two easy just to keep putting it off.

"Garen I need to have a word with you." He said, "_Privately_." He added glancing at the twelve year old next to Garen.

"Go on in and wait for us, Padawan." Said the other Jedi quietly. As the boy slipped though the doors into the comm. room Garen looked toward back to Qui-Gon expectantly. "So what is it you wished to speak to me about?" he asked.

"It's in regard to this investigation. Or more specifically who we're investigating." Said Qui-Gon uncomfortably. "Bant and I thought you should know."

"Mmm…" said Garen slowly, stepping over to lean against the wall "Don't tell me that this is all an elaborate hoax by the Council to draw out betrayers or something."

"Ha." Replied Qui-Gon un-humorously "If only it where that simple. No, it's almost exactly like it said in the briefing except for one tiny detail."

"Uh oh, this doesn't sound good," said Garen

"It's someone that both you and I knew… _know_ very well, they where once one of your best friends in fact."

Garen's head whipped up, "Don't tell me… It's Siri isn't it." He said

"Garen…"

"I know that she abandoned the Jedi all those years ago…." Continued Garen over the top of him, turning away to face down the hall "…But I never thought that she would actually attack the Jedi…"

"Garen!"

"What?"

"It's not Siri." Said Qui-Gon

"It's not… Oh." Garen looked back at Qui-Gon sheepishly "Oh, well then who is it then?"

Qui-Gon took a deep breath; he wasn't quite sure how Garen would react to this "What if I told you it was someone that we'd all thought was dead?" He said carefully.

"Like whom?" asked Garen equally cautious.

"Like… Obi-Wan?"

"I'd say your insane," replied Garen, "It's not a very funny joke I'm afraid…" he continued before catching the look of Qui-Gon's face. "You're being perfectly serious aren't you?"

"Yes." said Qui-Gon with a slight strain in his voice

"He… you mean… Obi-Wan?" Garen's face paled "How is it possible." He sunk back against the wall. "Obi-Wan…?"

"I know." Said Qui-Gon softly.

"Who else knows?" asked Garen

"Apart from me and Bant, The Council, Reeft and Anakin." Answered Qui-Gon, "why?"

"I don't know, it seemed like an intelligent question at the time. What do we do now, the mission profile explicitly states that the mission is to identify, hunt down and _eliminate_ the target."

"I know, Bant and me thought that we had to at least try to talk some sense into Obi-Wan first."

"I agree, as friends we owe him that much." Garen looked at the floor "Thank you for telling me Master Qui-Gon…"

"Just Qui-Gon Garen," said Qui-Gon, "Drop the Master, we're all friends here."

"I… I don't know what to think, what to feel. To be glad that he's alive? Or be horrified that he would get to the stage where he could attack the Jedi, It's just all so confusing."

"I know what you mean."

The two stood in contemplative silence as other Jedi, their minds elsewhere entirely, walked past. At length Garen spoke; "If the council knows that it was Obi-Wan, why did they assign you, me and Bant to the investigation?"

"And Reeft too, he's investigating on Melida/Daan to see if there is any connection there." Qui-Gon informed him, Garen shrugged. "I don't know. But would you rather have someone else on the case instead?"

"No." replied Garen quietly, nodding. "You're right, I want this."

"Then don't worry about the council," smiled Qui-Gon, "I never do."

"I've noticed." Commented Garen picking himself up, "Well then, I suppose we had better get going before young Lawrence has done the whole job for us."

* * *

**AN: Well that was a long break wasn't it, unfortunately I've being having computer troubles (Who doesn't at some point or another) so that's my excuse, but I apologize anyway, I'm going away on the 16th so I don't know whether I'll be able to squeeze another update in or not, If I cannot I'm afraid that I won't be updating again until some time in September. Just with the spelling mistakes, sorry, you're right, sometimes I am in too much of a hurry to get the next update up to take care of the spelling, I've gone back and updated all the files on my computer, and at some point I'll update the posts that are already up. Also just note that I'm Australian and use the UK spellings rather than the US ones.**


	10. Work In The Dark

**Star Wars: Fallen future**

Part I: Path of Shadows

* * *

**Chapter IX: Work in the Dark**

-"Qui-Gon tells the truth about Obi-Wan – I can sense it. But, something doesn't add up"- Garen Muln

,

Ken strode purpose fully across the Tarmac of the Coruscant Galactic Spaceport, hundreds of thousands of ships where lined up in neat rows as beings arrived or departed on business, pleasure or immigration. Though the spaceport was not used by the really important people like government officials or some of the big businesses – who all had their own private landing platforms – it nevertheless was still the biggest spaceport on the planet, and the most important in the sector. Thus when Ken had decided that it would be easier to hide in plain sight, he had instantly made up his mind to steal a ship from here. And so he strolled through the many Starships that where resting on the ground, hoping to find one that was small, fast, indiscreet and easily accessible.

He found what he was looking for in a small, one man black business cruiser, which was parked almost in the middle of the spaceport. It had evidently only recently being used as the engines where still warm. Holding his palm over the access pad, Ken was able to sense through the Force which where the keys that where usually pressed. The one small problem with this is that it didn't tell him the _order_ that they where pressed in. but after a couple of minutes of trying different combinations in his mind, he came up with what seamed like a reasonable guess, hence B,E,I,N,P,S became BESPIN.

Without caring who it was that would have their password set as the name of a planet, Ken quickly entered the code and smiled as the hatch opened with a small hiss. He slipped in and made his way through a small room with a bed on one side and a desk/kitchen on the other. Directly on the other side of this room was the cockpit. He slipped into pilot's seat, and began the power up procedures, his fingers flew across the controls and a few seconds later the stolen craft was rocketing up through multiple layers of sky traffic and up into space.

Ken checked the co-ordinates that Sidious had given him, before entering Nar Shaddaa into the Navi-computer, and engaged the Hyperdrive. He sat back in his seat the stars stretched into lines and, with a jolt, the ship rocketed into Hyperspace.

* * *

"Here!" said Qui-Gon, pointing at an image on the screen he was looking at. The three Jedi, a Master, a Knight and an Apprentice, had been sorting through footage for half an hour. rather than try to sort through the hundreds of security feeds _in_ the Temple – most of which would be almost impossible to make out in the dim light anyway, the three of them where focusing on only four. External cameras around the outside of the Temple that belonged to the Coruscanti police, at last Qui-Gon had spotted something. He wound the screen back a bit as Garen came to look over his shoulder.

The image displayed was a grainy film of a line of sky traffic, after a few seconds a small black shape became apparent on top of a larger transport, as it moved closer it was revealed to be a person dressed in a black cloak, the person seemed to throw something over the edge of the transport before making as if to jump off it. But it was at that moment that the transport, and the figure on top, disappeared off the side of the screen.

"According to the Coruscanti police file," said Garen checking his own screen after a second of silence, "That camera cuts off just before the window of the Archives." Qui-Gon looked over as Garen activated the security film of the Archives on the main holoprojector, and wound it to the same time as the exterior film. The holofilm showed a miniature version of the Archives hall. a shadow cast on the floor from above, moved to about half way across the hall and then stopped, there was a snap-hiss and the noise of a lightsaber melting through something and a second later a dark figure dropped to the floor.

"Oh no." whispered Garen mournfully "Don't tell me he broke the window – that was the only thing I liked about the Archives…" Qui-Gon stared at him.

"Well you have to admit, it is rather dull otherwise." Elaborated Garen "After the first hundred times, I got rather board reading all the holobooks, but I could always find something I'd never noticed before in the mural on the window."

With an amused shake of his head, Qui-Gon turned back to look at the security holo which was now showing Obi-Wan sitting in front of a computer console, typing something in. he sat working on the computer terminal for a couple of minutes before suddenly sitting bolt upright with a sharp look to his right. In a rush he flicked off the computer screen and slid into the shadows. Just a few seconds later, two Jedi walked in, in a board fashion. Qui-Gon knew instantly it was a patrol.

As the two walked along between the great shelves, filled with hundreds of holobooks, which bathed them in an eerie light, Qui-Gon found himself – annoyingly – holding his breath. With a quick shake of his head, he let the breath go and looked back at the film, just as the two Jedi seemed to be leaving. But at that moment, the computer screen flickered back on and emitted a loud beep.

The Jedi turned back to the computer as Obi-Wan emerged from the shadows and ignited his scarlet blade. Qui-Gon felt Garen stiffen beside him as the red blade rushed into existence, the both of them knew that a red blade almost certainly signified an allegiance with the dark side. They both averted their eyes as the sounds of a fight broke out. After a little more than a minute of quick and intense clashing of blades, an agonized cry of "NO!" followed by a final distinctive swing signaled the end of the battle. Qui-Gon looked back to the image as Obi-Wan clipped his lightsaber back onto his belt and straitened his hood with seeming disinterest. From next to him, he could hear Garen's Padawan's shaky breathes as he tried to come to terms with what he had seen.

"Well…" started Garen, he broke off and swallowed, "Damn." He said at last. The three where silent for a few seconds

"We need to find out what was on that tape." Said Qui-Gon quietly as Obi-Wan pulled a disk out of the computer and slipped it into his pocket. Immediately Sandy wheeled away from the holoprojecter and sat down at the security computer, Qui-Gon examined him carefully as after a few seconds typing the cache from the Archives central displayed itself on the screen. Sandy frowned "There's no history _or_ Cache in the database for the last twenty-four hours, Masters." He said.

"None at all?" asked Garen in surprise. He looked down at his lap as if in thought. "I guess that he must have erased all of the data." He said at last.

"But it's supposed to be impossible to empty data from the Archives." Said Sandy in surprise.

"It's supposed to be impossible to gain unauthorized access to the Archives too." Shrugged Garen, "Apparently he's forgotten that little fact…"

"He? Do you know him Master?" asked Sandy, looking up at his master in surprise.

"Yes." Replied Garen in a quiet whisper, "Yes I knew him."

"We both did once." Added Qui-Gon quietly "Years ago." He changed the subject, "The cache has been removed from the Archives' system, but it is still possible that the data is still somewhere on the main memory core. The problem is that if that's the case we'd need someone to slice into the core."

"My Padawan can do it." Said Garen confidently, "he's at the top of his computer class, he's better at it than me, anyway."

Qui-Gon nodded "fair enough." He said, he pointed from Garen to himself, "_We_ need to work out where he went after leaving the Temple." He said as he sat back down at the holoprojecter. Garen sat down behind him as he switched the view of the Archives to a view of the Temple's entrance hall.

"Do you really think that he would just waltz out the front door?" asked Garen incredulously.

"You never know." Stated Qui-Gon "He didn't go out the way he came in, we know that."

The two Jedi sat and watched the holorecording as the minutes trickled by, at last, a dark figure ran into the side of the hologram and sprinted across the hall and through the front door. Qui-Gon quirked an eyebrow at Garen, who muttered, "I still think it's weird. Who'd go out the front door when ten to one it's guarded?"

"Sometimes the most obvious alternative is the least expected." Answered Qui-Gon Mildly, "Switch to the exterior camera." The image flicked to the view of the great flight of stairs that lead down from the front entrance hall. Down the stair a dark figure fled, cloak billowing behind him. As he reached the great chasm that ran around the perimeter of the temple grounds, he turned right onto the carriageway reserved for foot traffic and low-to-ground speeders. He quickly ran along and vanished off the side of the hologram.

Qui-Gon turned to another of the data screens; this one showing a map of the area around the Temple, overlaid with all of the police security camera locations in the area. With a quick examination of the map, Qui-Gon pinpointed which view Obi-Wan would appear on next. "Garen," he said "Switch to camera 'CCA-0048176900'."

Garen typed in the code and a second later a new image appeared instead of the Temple exterior, this one showing Obi-Wan running along the foot path of the speed way, before reaching an intersection and changing direction, taking the left turn and darting off camera again. Qui-Gon looked back at the map again. "Switch to camera 'CCA-0048175209'." He instructed.

And so it continued, they followed Obi-Wan from camera to camera through the streets of Coruscant. At last their quarry slowed to a walk, twenty Kilometers away from the Temple. It was at an intersection of three smaller speeder roads as the main one came to an end. _'I know that area.'_ Thought Qui-Gon _'There's nothing around there except warehouses and factories - mostly abandoned ones.' _Qui-Gon frowned as Obi-Wan stopped completely and looked around. _'What is he doing?'_ he wondered. The answer soon became apparent as the young man reached out his hands and the camera suddenly cut out in a burst of static.

"Damn," said Qui-Gon as he franticly switched from camera to camera, it made no difference, all the cameras around that intersection had been disabled. "Well at least we have a general area to search." He said at last in defeat.

"You believe that he's hiding in one of the factories around there…" Garen cut off his apprentice let out a gasp. "What is it Padawan?" he asked

"Sith! He was looking up Sith!" said the boy; Qui-Gon felt like the ground beneath him had fallen away. The boy was right, he had come across a list of files looked at during the night, someone had looked up a couple names in the database, but also was a long list of files that had been accessed around the same time, all of them where on Sith. Holocrons, Battle histories, everything. And all of them where tagged with a note – 'Copied onto personal device.'

"Sith." Repeated Garen weakly, slumping back into his chair. For a while no one spoke, "I think we both need to go to that cross road and look there for any remaining traces of Obi-Wan." Said Qui-Gon quietly at last. "I will not give up on him, no matter what he's become, or plans on becoming. Garen, I think you and me should go and check that intersection while your apprentice stays here and tries to get anything more he can from the computer." _'It would save time.'_ Reflected Qui-Gon, _'And it would also save the boy from ending up along side Anakin in the healers ward.'_

Anakin, Qui-Gon felt guilty about leaving the Temple while he was still unconscious, but this investigation needed to be conducted while the trail was still fresh; and Qui-Gon wanted- needed to know while Obi-Wan had turned. Yes, for the sake of his padawans, both old and knew, this needed to be resolved as fast as possible, he just hoped Anakin would understand if he woke up before he got back.

He broke his reverie just as Garen had finished relaying the order to _his_ Padawan. "Are you ready?" he asked him.

"Yes." was the response "Let's go."

* * *

**AN: "Hello everybody, I'm back! After an extended holiday about the UK I've returned to finish this story for all you adoring fans (Cough, cough). Yeah, well anyway… I've almost finished my first draft of the rest of the story, so its mostly just a matter of just typing it all onto the computer now and making the necessary adjustments (Which I must confess, is the bit that I really hate), so to all of you guys who've stuck around prepare for more posts coming to your galaxy… Soon."**


	11. Searching For Answers

**STARWARS: Fallen future**

Part I: Path of Shadows

* * *

**Chapter X: Searching For Answers**

-"You'd think that Ken might at least drop by to say sorry." - Jango Fett

,

Qui-Gon and Garen walked through the halls of the Jedi Temple on the way to the hangers, both emersed in their own thoughts. "Do you suppose that Obi-Wan is even still on Coruscant?" asked Garen presently, "I don't think I would be by now…"

Qui-Gon hesitated, "You're probably right." He responded slowly. "But we may as well have a look; we've got no other leads to follow up in the meantime."

"True." Conceded Garen

A short beep alerted Qui-Gon to the fact that someone was trying to contact him. "Jinn here." He reported as he snatched the comlink off his belt. "This is Bant," came the reply, "I've just finished my preliminary exam of Master Teagé and Padawan Hezzie. And I have been able to use trace DNA samples from the fight to confirm the identity of the attacker."

"I wasn't aware that the identity of the attacker was under dispute." Commented Qui-Gon dryly.

"Well it certainly isn't any more." Bant told him gravely. Qui-Gon could almost hear her fallen expression, "It was defiantly Obi-Wan. However there was something a little strange about the samples we where able to get." She took a deep breath, "There are several large inconsistencies in mineral levels from Obi-Wan's medical records."

"Meaning… what exactly?" asked Qui-Gon

"I'm not sure exactly." Replied Bant. "There are many studies and theories about the science of the effects of certain minerals in different beings, with some interesting results. Like did you know that force sensitive being typically have lower levels of common protein fibres than the other members of their species? Not enough to be harmful in most cases, but enough to make an average difference."

"Do we care?" asked Garen

"Why?" asked Qui-Gon – ignoring Garen

"The theory is that our higher levels of Midichlorians mean that more protein is used everyday in the operations of our bodies – more mouths to feed if you will."

"Fascinating." Remarked Garen sarcastically "But I don't see how it's relevant, in doesn't get us any closer to Obi-Wan."

"I'm trying to demonstrate that chemical changes can be caused by the slightest things," said Bant impatiently "Old injuries, diseases, mental conditions, living conditions, environment, even diet."

"So what is it you think it could be in this case?" asked Qui-Gon Curiously, he could feel the Living Force nudging him, telling him that this information was important.

"I can't be sure." Replied Bant "There are too many unknowns; on what I currently have I could give you a list as long as my arm."

"But if we could find out some more about Obi-Wan's past three years, his current life, you'd be able to narrow it down?" guessed Qui-Gon.

"Right." Confirmed the Mon Calamari.

"Is it possible…" asked Garen with a little more interest now, "Is it possible that the changes could have been made by his fall to the darkside?"

"It _is_ possible." Said Bant "but for obvious reasons there has never been a study on dark siders, but having said that, there _are_ some elements that are usually associated with violence, though in Obi-Wan's case they seem to be at normal levels. But who knows."

"Alright," said Qui-Gon, "Keep up with your study. Garen and I are going to try to follow up a lead outside the temple. We should be back within a couple of hours."

"Copy that. See you guys later…" and with that the link went dead.

"Do you _really_ think Obi-Wan is suffering from some sort of disease?" asked Garen dubiously.

"Perhaps." Said Qui-Gon, "But what ever the cause, the force is indicating it is important. But we shan't find anything by standing here, we need to get to that intersection and find out where Obi-Wan went." The two Jedi climbed into an air speeder in the temple hanger, and Garen manoeuvred it expertly out of the hanger, swinging into the sky traffic, heading strait in the direction that Obi-Wan had last being seen.

"You seem a little distracted Qui-Gon." Mentioned Garen as he waved through traffic with the ease of the trained pilot he was.

Qui-Gon hesitated "It's just something that Obi-Wan said." He answered with a slight frown. "Or rather what he didn't say."

"Oh, do explain."

"When he disarmed me, it was right over the waterfall where Bruck Chun died." Explained Qui-Gon slowly, "But when I mentioned that fact to him…" Qui-Gon paused, he wasn't quite sure what had been wrong with Obi-Wan's reaction; it just hadn't been right, "He seemed totally nonplussed." He said, thinking out loud. "Heck, he seemed _confused!_" he glanced over at his college to see him frown.

"That doesn't make _any_ sense." Said the younger knight. "He _never_ forgot about what had happened there… in fact, I think he mentioned the death of Bruck in our last conversation before Naboo."

"Exactly." Nodded Qui-Gon "He always felt at least partly responsible for his death; I think he felt the same as he did about the death of his friend on Melida/Daan – not being quick enough."

"The _slight_ difference being that Cerasi was his friend where's Bruck was a git." commented Garen dryly.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that last bit." Said Qui-Gon, "But you have to admit, the principle is the same, Obi-Wan was _always_ worried about not being good enough – not being _fast_ enough, at lest up until the last few years where he seemed to finally gain some more confidence in himself." Qui-Gon winced as they passed closer to an oncoming speeder than he would have liked, before continuing again. "But he _never_ would have forgotten Bruck… would you watch where you're flying!" He yelled as Garen swerved into the oncoming traffic to get around a large cargo speeder, nearly getting cleaned up by one coming the other way in the process.

"Relax, everything's under control." Said Garen easily.

"Don't _you_ start; I get enough of that from my apprentice." Groaned Qui-Gon

Garen didn't return comment as he dropped out of the skyline and steered their craft down to land on the duracrete of the raised speeder road some two-hundred meters below. "This is the intersection." He announced.

Qui-Gon was already scrambling out of the vehicle, landing noiselessly on the ground and striding toward the intersection. Low flying speeders and the odd wheeled vehicle zipped passed in both directions in an almost constant stream, their backwash pulling at the two Jedi's robes. They reached the crossroads as the traffic signals changed and the traffic that had been banked up for several hundred meters in the adjacent road began to move off again. Qui-Gon strode strait up to the corner and closed his eyes, reaching out into the Force to try and find some trace of his former Padawan.

"Nothing." Said Garen after a couple of minutes, "I don't sense anything at all." Qui-Gon didn't answer, instead reaching out further into the Force, trying to reach back in time for. At last, after a couple of minutes, he managed to grasp onto a faint presence that he know to be Obi-Wan's, the presence began to move away from him, and desperately, Qui-Gon tried to follow it, to work out where it had gone. Feeling as though he was wading through a thick fog, he began to step toward the presence, following it through the mist. Dimly he was aware of someone speaking – Calling to him, "Qui-Gon? Qui-Gon!? QUI-GON!?" suddenly he felt a hand grab him on the upper arm, accompanied by a sharp "Stop!"

In a flash the presence vanished as Qui-Gon's eyes snapped open. It was Garen's hand on his arm, and Qui-Gon found himself mere millimetres away from the rushing traffic. With a strangled cry Qui-Gon leaped backwards, tripping over the curb as he did so and finding himself sprawled on the duracrete ground. He let out a shuddering sigh – that had been entirely _too_ close. "Thanks Garen." He breathed as he pulled himself to his feet.

"All in a day's work," Said Garen cheerfully. "Saving a deranged Jedi master – though one of the most respected in the order I should add – from killing himself by walking out into the middle of a busy street in a trance." He let out a relived sigh "besides, I would hate to have to explain to Anakin that his dumb master had gotten himself run over by stepping in front of a speeder."

"It would be a rather… _unspectacular_ way to go." Agreed Qui-Gon dryly.

"So, did you discover anything in your… ah… oblivious travels?" enquired Garen

"Yeah, Obi-Wan went that way." Said Qui-Gon pointing strait ahead of him; to the right of where they had approached the intersection. "How do you know _that_?" asked Garen in disbelief "I couldn't even get the _slightest_ impression of him."

"When Sixty-three years old you reach, know a few tricks of the force you will." Said Qui-Gon in his best Yoda impersonation. "Besides, you forget that he was once _my_ Padawan, I know his presence like I know my own."

"I see." Said Garen. He pulled out a datapad with a map of the area loaded on it. "According to this, there is an abandoned warehouse along here that used to be known as…" his eye's widened in disbelief.

"As…" prompted Qui-Gon

"As the Coruscanti Rubber Bantha Factory." Read Garen trying unsuccessfully to keep a strait face.

"You made that up." Accused Qui-Gon.

"I did not." Said Garen thrusting the datapad at him. Much to his surprise, it really did say the Coruscanti Rubber Bantha Factory. But more importantly, the datasheet read that it had been vacant since nine hundred and sixty-six years post battle of Ruusan – over five years ago. "It sounds like a safe bet." Said Qui-Gon, choosing not to comment on the name of the building. "Shall we?"

With a wave of his hand he depressed the pedestrian button. And a few seconds later the signals changed, allowing the Jedi to cross. After a few minutes of walking they arrived at a vast duracrete warehouse, the darkened glow sign reading: 'Gontel Blyn's Coruscanti Rubber Bantha Factory.

"Who in the galaxy would want a rubber Bantha?" whispered Garen as they crept up to the huge roller door that adorned the front of the building. The two of them unclipped their lightsabers from their belts and held them at the ready as Garen reached out through the Force and activated the mechanism for the gigantic door. As the Door began to slowly open, the two Jedi ducked under it and slunk into the building. The massive space was empty except for a few large piles of crates right at the back, where there was also another door.

Qui-Gon started as the sudden whine of engines tore through the quiet stillness of the warehouse. "He _is_ still here. He's getting away!" cried Garen, sprinting across the floor toward the back door. With a bang, Garen threw open the door and barged threw the doorway, igniting his orange lightsaber as he did so. Qui-Gon burst through a second later, just as the engine noise reached its crescendo and the firespray class ship berthed behind the building lifted off and soared into the sky.

"Kriff!" swore Garen "We missed him!"

* * *

Nar Shaddaa, the large solitary moon of Nal Hutta, also known as the 'smugglers moon' or 'Little Coruscant', was a hive of the vilest, hated and cursed smugglers in the galaxy. The world was like Coruscant's ugly twin, buildings and factories covered the entire surface, but unlike the pleasant architecture of the galactic capital, Nar Shaddaa had simple and utilitarian structures, most of them old and crumbling, and stained by impurities in the atmosphere, and from the copious amounts of smoke that was constantly belched into the air.

This was the domain of the pirate slave trader, Krayn. The gangster owned most of the factories and warehouses on the moon, and all of the slaves that where used to staff them. Although Nar Shaddaa nominally had an independent government, led by one Aga Culpa, the fact of the matter was that the true power lay with Kryan… and every one knew it.

High above the planet – outside the gravity well, a single business shuttle dropped out of hyperspace, and moved in toward the moon. At the controls of the small ship was Ken Ibonek, with the ease of a trained fighter pilot, he manoeuvred his stolen craft through the outer layers of the atmosphere and through the endless sky traffic and down into one of the larger spaceports.

A quick glance at the datapad that Sidious had given him confirmed what he had thought; he knew that Krayn's fortress was in this quadrant, and nothing else. He stood up, grabbing his lightsaber and the datapad and clipped them both onto his belt. He strode off down the boarding ramp and set the ships security system, during the flight, he had rewired the system so that instead of an incorrect tone being emitted if someone was stupid enough to try to break into the ship, the power would loop through the generator, and then run back out to the hull – which would effectively fry anyone close by or touching the ship. Continuing down the ramp, he pulled his hood down over his face and called on the Force to artificially darken his features, blanketing them in shadow and making it next to impossible for his face to be seen.

With a quick glance about him, he made his way off the landing platform and into the spaceport proper. It wasn't much, Nar Shaddaa had no customs or security to speak of, and this spaceport was for smaller craft only. A single being – a Weequay – sat behind a desk in the main lobby. "Tis thirty credits to berth your ship here." He said as Ken tried to slip unobtrusively by. Ken sighed, it wasn't a problem that he wasn't being aloud to leave without paying, but Ken would have rather avoided having to put in the effort of using mind trick. though as he thought about it, he realized this man would know where Krayn's headquarters where… hopefully.

"I don't need to give you any credits." He said with a wave of his hand.

"You don't need to give my any credits." Repeated the attendant with a dazed expression.

"You will tell me how to get to Krayn's headquarters." Said Ken with another wave of his hand.

"KRAYN?!" exclaimed the Weequay in shock, apparently the fear the name evoked was strong enough to counteract the effects of the mind trick. Ken tried again, this time exerting more pressure. "You _will_ tell me where Krayn's headquarters are."

"I will tell you how to get to Krayn's headquarters." Said the worker dutifully, "You need to go to that building over there." He said, pointing out the window at a jagged building that dominated the skyline, '_Typical',_ thought Ken _'I should have just looked for the fanciest building around here. These scum are all the same'_ he looked back at the Weequay who was speaking again, "You need to take the turbolift from the street levels to the entrance on the main landing platform, then one of his bigwigs – Rashtah or Zora, will be there to… assist you."

"Thank you, you've been ever so helpful." Said Ken dryly "You will forget you ever saw me, my ship is owned by a Bespin contractor who paid you in full and with a tip." He said with a final wave of his hand. He left before the attendant could repeat what he had said in his mind trick, he found it rather irritating. With a slight chuckle at how easy it had been, he stepped through the door to the right of the desk and out into the smoggy day light.

Now he just needed to get to this turbo lift and then he could get this mission over with. He was just about to step toward the streets when he heard the sound of familiar engines, only one ship in the entire galaxy's engines sounded like that, he looked up and saw the distinctive ship fly over his head and land in one of the docking bays of the spaceport he'd just vacated. "Blast!" he swore out loud, _'What the blazes is he doing here?'_ he thought angrily.

* * *

**AN: another post. Things are finally starting to get moving again now, and the action continues from here basically to the end. Sidious will be back to his sinister schemes in the next chapter, and Siri will finally make here dramatic return in the chapter after that. All the while can Garen and Qui-Gon get any further in their investigation? And when will Anakin wake up? Find out in the next posts coming to your Galaxy… soon.**

**PS: It was in fact Jango that Garen and Qui-Gon just missed, in case you where wondering – Obi-Wan was already long gone by then.**


	12. Memories Of The Fallen

**STARWARS: Fallen future**

Part I: Path of Shadows

* * *

**Chapter XI: Memories of the Fallen**

-"It seems that his usefulness has run its course…" - Sidious

--

When Bant had first decided to dedicate her life to being a Jedi Healer she had envisaged saving people, she'd never thought that in her first time in charge of the operating theatre she would be conducting an autopsy of someone who had been brutally murdered. She had of course in her time, patched up countless knights and initiates who had been injured in the course of missions or training, and even been secondary surgeon when a particularly bad case had come in. but this was the first time as head surgeon and she was studying the body of someone who was not only one of the best lightsaber instructors in the temple, but someone who had been murdered be a person whom she had considered to be her bet friend.

She looked over the body which had been laid out on the operation table, the dismembered head had been placed at the proper position at the top of her body, and one could almost forget that she had been brutally decapitated. Bant looked over at her three charges, Tru Veld, Ferus Olin and Darra Thel-Tanis. This particular examination would be toughest for them, Soara Antara would have almost certainly instructed them at some point, possibly even sparred with them, and Bant knew that when she had been young the instructors had seemed almost invincible. This would be an unpleasant reminder to the three initiates that on the wrong day _anyone_ could lose.

"She talked to me after class the other day," whispered Darra with a frozen expression "She said that she was thinking of taking me as her Padawan."

"I'm sorry." Said Bant. She felt truly sorry for the girl, she herself had never had any problem attracting a master, Master Tahl had taken her on at soon after she had turned twelve, and when Tahl had died, Master Fitso had taken her on soon afterward. But some initiates had real problems attracting masters, Obi-Wan himself had only been taken by Qui-Gon a few days before his thirteenth birthday – the day at which initiates that had not been chosen would be sent of to a Service Corp. – and then only through supreme coincidence, and Bant suspected a little help from a certain old, green and wrinkly Master. Darra was now twelve and five months, in seven moths she would be being shipped out.

As if the initiates had read her mind, Ferus spoke up: "Don't worry Darra, you'll get another master."

Ferus was in a similar boat to Darra, he had been chosen before thirteen by a master, but they had been killed in action, and now at fourteen he had only a few months left before he to would be heading for the Service Corps, though granted it was usually easier for Padawans that had already been chosen to gain a new master than it was for those that hadn't

"Common." Said Bant, breaking the uneasy silence, "Let's proceed." She carefully began to search the body for any sign of foreign hair or skin traces or any other substance like that. "We_ are _going to find this guy and make him pay, aren't we?" Asked Darra

"We _shall _find him," confirmed Bant, "But I doubt that we will make him _pay_."

"Why not?" Burst out the red headed girl.

"Darra!" hissed Ferus fearfully, "You know that revenge isn't the Jedi way."

Bant nodded gravely, "And besides, we need to know _why_ he attacked as much as much as who and we can't do that if we make him… _suffer_." _'And that at the very least is true anyway' _thought Bant _'I _do_ need to know why…'_

* * *

Ken stormed across one of the many docking bays in the space port, heading towards a distinctive blue and silver firespray class ship. He reached the bottom of the gang plank just as an armoured warrior reached the top from the inside. "What the blazes are you doing here Jango?!" demanded Ken

"I'm a bounty hunter," replied Jango shortly "I go where my work takes me."

"And you just happen to be on Nar Shaddaa at the same time as me? Said Ken accusingly

"Coincidence." Said Jango airily.

"Coincidence?" repeated Ken disbelievingly.

"Hey, they do happen."

"Don't patronize me Jango, you've been on almost no missions since you started on Tyranus secret little project, and now you just _happen_ to get one on Nar Shaddaa? Those are very long odds – You're here to 'keep an eye on me'."

"Hey, someone who can crisp their own supposed friend doesn't really need much help, do they."

Ken scowled "That was low Jango, even for you."

"Doesn't make it any less true. Look even if what you say is true – which for most intents and purposes, is not – why is that a problem?" asked Jango, crossing his arms.

"Because I'm not a child Fett, I don't need to be babysat each second of the day."

"Alright." Replied Jango heatedly, "Good! Because I don't baby-sit; I'd get a droid if I needed that. Just pretend that I'm not here, and I'll pretend that you're not here and then everything will be just peachy, we can just be two bounty hunters on the Crime Capital of the galaxy…"

"Just stay out of my way." Ground out Ken, turning and storming from the docking bay.

"You will find eventually that I'm right Ken." Called Jango to his back, "Sidious doesn't care diddaly-squat about you other than what he can extract from you, he doesn't have you best wishes at heart, and one day, when you know that, remember... I'll help you…" Ken just waved his hand dismissively and kept walking; nevertheless, Jango's calm assurance had unsettled him more than he cared to admit…

* * *

Qui-Gon and Garen walked back through the empty warehouse, lightsabers lit to illuminate the boxes and crates that lay around. They found a stack of crates in the back corner which where arranged in a rough circle shape, a further two crates sat in the middle of the circle, placed a meter or so apart. "He was here," said Garen, "I can sense it."

Qui-Gon nodded, "Me too." He said. He carefully walked around the circle of packing crates using the Force to guide him in a search for something that Obi-Wan may have left behind, the Force drew him to one of the two crates in the middle, reaching in between the timbers, Qui-Gon felt round the inside of it and was rewarded by his hand grasping something cool and smooth. The object was revealed to be – as he pulled it out of the crate – a tiny holoprojector.

"What have you found?" asked Garen as Qui-Gon straitened up, the younger knight came over to join him. Qui-Gon just shook his head and activated the device, the small figure of an average sized but powerfully built man appeared, dressed in simple black garments.

"Ken." Said the Hologram "I don't know if you will ever get this, but I felt that I needed to leave it. I know that you really didn't mean to do what you did after your little excursion to the temple, but the point it that you did and now there is no going back. _I_ still meant what I said back then; he's using you and he won't hesitate to dispose of you if you become a liability to his operations – which you will if you show any signs of regaining your old life." The hologram flickered as the man shifted uncomfortably from one foot to another, "I am going to try to find some hard evidence of my theory, I have already looked and found no entries of Ken Ibonek in the Republic data base…" the man broke off and looked around suddenly, "I must go now…" He said as the hologram flickered out.

Qui-Gon sat down heavily, a cloud of questions whirling through his mind. _'What did he mean by 'regaining your old life'?'_ he wondered silently.

"Who do you suppose this Ken is?" asked Garen slowly,

"Ken Ibonek?" asked Qui-Gon, surprised that Garen apparently worked it out. Garen nodded. "Ibonek, I, bee, oh, enn, ee, kay: backwards its kay, ee, enn, oh, bee, I, Kenobi, its Obi-Wan he's talking about."

"Oh, right, now how come I didn't think of that?" muttered Garen sheepishly.

"The real question is, what that guy meant by _'regaining your old life'_?" said Qui-Gon, "I feel like there's a perfectly good and simple explanation for all this; But I can't for the life of me work out what it is…" he switched the hologram on again and the two Jedi listened in silent contemplation…

"I've got an idea." Said Qui-Gon at last, a couple of minutes later.

"Yeah?" asked Garen raising his head hopefully.

"None of this is real," Said Qui-Gon in mock cheerfulness. "I've just whacked my head too hard, too many times."

"Well in that case I must have hit my head at the same time." Replied Garen with a rueful smile, his excitement leaving as quickly as it had come. "Maybe we'll both wake up later, and find that we…" he suddenly sat bolt upright "That's It! I've got it!" he cried.

Qui-Gon stared at Garen as he leaped to his feet and pulled out his comlink; "I've just got to check one thing to be sure…" he was saying, chattering constantly. "Bant," he said into the comlink urgently, "Bant, could Obi-Wan's mineral imbalance you where talking about have been caused by Amnesia? Percussive amnesia? Like when you hit your head and lose your… yeah." He chatted on a bit further as the response evidently came back, and after a few seconds and a quick triumphant "Thankyou Bant!" he hung up and turned back to face Qui-Gon, grinning like an idiot.

"Amnesia?" inquired Qui-Gon incredulously "You think he's lost his memories?" he asked not daring to believe.

"Yep," Said Garen "Bant's just confirmed that it's possible, that if enough of the brain was damaged it could lead to changing thought pattens which in turn could affect the mineral levels. It explains it all, why he attacked the temple, why he didn't recognise Bruck's name, it explains everything!"

"But what makes you so sure that it is amnesia?" asked Qui-Gon, not wanting to commit himself, "Bant said that it could be anything on a list as long as her arm. Where would he have gotten amnesia…?"

Garen cut him off "The fall on Naboo, lets say that in stead of landing in the acid he landed on one of the walkways, He could have hit his head then." He looked at Qui-Gon "Just imagine if you woke up alone in a place like that – you saw what it was like down there – you would think that you'd been abandoned too if you woke up there, if all you could remember was your master and then falling."

"I think you may be right." Said Qui-Gon heavily, _'my poor Obi-Wan, why does it always happen to you?'_ he thought sadly.

"C'mon Qui-Gon." Said Garen "you sound like you don't want to believe me. At least with this we have _some_ hope."

"We still have to catch Obi-Wan Garen, And then we have to be able to return his memories," Said Qui-Gon looking up at Garen "And then we still have to convince the council that this is the case, we have had some good news, but there's still a lot of bad news to make up for."

"Don't worry so much." Said Garen "The council will at least let us try to heal Obi-Wan's mind after we discuss this with them. And the mind healers at the temple have healed worse than this. Every thing will be fine."

"You could be right." Said Qui-Gon, allowing himself to brighten up a little bit. "I just don't want anyone to be disappointed if this doesn't work out the way that you seem to think it will – there's a lot that can go wrong with this new direction."

"At worst," argued Garen "We'll be no better than ware we started from. I think that that's worth the risk."

"I'm not saying it's not a good idea." Said Qui-Gon hastily "Just don't get your hopes up too much in case we can't – for whatever reason – Get Obi-Wan back."

"Don't worry, it won't be a problem." Said Garen confidently. "I suppose we'd better get back to the temple." He said "We still need to work out where he _is_ now; this trip didn't really help us much from that point of view."

In an office in the high levels of Coruscant, an elderly man shuffled a handful of sheets of flimsy that lay on his desk and filed them into a draw. He looked up at his two imposing guards and dismissed them. "You may go now," he told them, "I just have to finish up here." The sentries left immediately without question; they knew better than to argue with him. As soon as he was alone he used the buttons on his key pad to lock the door and shade the windows.

The man stood on his chair and reached up to the ceiling, opening a secret compartment concealed in it, out of the hole dropped a thick baggy black robe. The man pulled it on over his elaborate day clothes, fastened the silver broach around his throat and pulled the hood down right over his face, opening himself to the force he drew upon the dark side, his eyes turned from a friendly blue, to a fierce yellow. He felt raw power flow through his veins, reminding himself that he was, beyond a doubt, the most powerful being in the galaxy.

With the press of a few buttons, a holoprojector sprang to life on his desk showing an ugly looking alien with a four eyes and an almost corral like head. The T'surr was leaning casually back in his chair, his feet resting on his desk. "Krayn." He said to the alien slowly but dangerously, "Soon Ken Ibonek will arrive at your palace."

"Good." Replied the alien "I can't wait forever you know _Sidious_, I need Senator Jodukeh removed."

"Well there's been a slight change in plans," snarled Sidious "As soon as he gets there I want him Killed."

"Oh really." Yawned Krayn, "Why should I?"

"Because I have some friends in _very_ high places" replied Sidious in a voice that was sickly sweet "and if you don't, you might find that some very inconvenient information finds its way into the Republic's hands."

"You're bluffing."

"Maybe," said Sidious "But maybe not, is it really worth your while to take the risk?" as it happened Sidious was perfectly capable of making on good on his threat, but sometimes in situations like this it was better to leave the recipient unsure as to whether you where telling the truth or not, there was an expression for that he was sure, something about keeping all of the shots up you sleave or something like that.

Krayn meanwhile, changed tack at the speed of light. "Well in that case, kill him eh?"

"He must be killed immediately as he arrives," instructed the old man "He'll be extremely dangerous if he get any whiff of what you're going to."

"But you where the one who recommended him in the first place. _Sidious_." Krayn pointed out coolly

"That was then, and this is now." Responded Sidious "Do not disappoint me… _Slave Trader_…" he said leaving the treat wide open to imagination, and with that the hologram flickered and died.

Krayn looked up sideways at his towering Wookie companion "Rashtah," he said "Go and tell Zora to expect Ibonek, tell her to show him up here as if he was a guest, and then on the way back, fetch your bowcaster"

The Wookie growled a question in reply. "Oh no, I shan't kill him strait away." Smiled Krayn "He will do my little assassination job for me as planned; however, he will never survive to collect the pay check." He cackled merrily as Rashtah left to do his bidding…

* * *

**AN: Dun da dah, Ken better watch his six. Please note despite the way it appears, it is actually a several hour flight to Nar Shaddaa, so Jango, for the purpose of this fic, has a faster hyperdrive than most other ships (He probably does anyway, illegal enhancements you know), allowing him to arrive at Nar Shaddaa soon after Ken despite leaving a few hours later – One of these days I'll fix up the ordering of those chapters so it makes more chronologic sense. More posts coming to your Galaxy… soon.**


	13. Many Meetings

**STARWARS: Fallen future**

Part I: Path of Shadows

* * *

**Chapter XII: Many Meetings  
**

-"Just _who_ does he think he is? He's lucky I'm not as dangerous as I'd like to pretend" **– Zora**

--

The main entrance to Krayn's palace was located on the massive main landing platform, suspended half way up the side of the building. To allow entrance for foot passengers a turbolift ran from the street level, up two-hundred meters into the air, terminating at the side of the landing platform, it was this turbolift that Ken rode in on his way to the entrance, as the turbo lift rolled to a stop, the transparisteel doors enabled him to see several stained transports, beings scuttling around like insects to get them repaired and refuelled before they where needed again.

Walking out of the turbolift as the doors opened he sauntered across the platform as if he owned the place, his cloak cracking in the fresh breeze, and walked up to the arched entrance way. His advance was cut short by a slender figure standing just in the shadow of the door way – a woman Ken noted with slight surprise. She stood about half a head shorter than Ken, her hair was a stained red colour, pulled back into a series of intricate braids, she wore a formfitting jumpsuit with a strip of thick netting which ran from under the armpits to the point of the hip, over which sat a loose flight jacket. On her belt was an impressive array of munitions, but the thing that Ken noticed the most where her eyes, a set of ice blue eyes with such an innate fierceness that it would make half the people in the Galaxy take a step back. "Well." She said dully "Who are you?"

"Zora, I presume?" asked Ken breezily, pushing all the events of the last forty-eight hours out of his head. "You must be." He continued, "You hardly look like a Wookie, 'though you can never tell sometimes."

Zora flushed, "Look here smart guy, I have better things to do than stand around here listing to your insults all day." She pulled one of the bigger and nastier looking blasters off her belt and shoved in his face, "So either state you name and business or I'll give you a free demonstration of the power of this little Blaster."

"Or not so little as the case may be." Said Ken, stepping around the blaster barrel. "My name is Ken Ibonek, I believe I'm expected."

"Unfortunately." Commented Zora grumpily. "Alright get moving – I'll take you to Krayn's office." She turned on her heel and marched into the depths of the building. Ken hurried after her and fell into step beside her.

"I didn't know that a space thug needed an office." He commented

"Keep talking…" ground out Zora threateningly

"Gee… someone's a bit cranky, aren't they?" said Ken

"Look _buddy_." snarled Zora with her teeth barred, "There are two reasons why you aren't dead on the floor right now, one is because you remind me of someone I once knew, and two, because Krayn ordered it. Keep pushing your luck though and _neither_ will spare you."

"As you say ma'am." Said Ken, plucking at the top of his hood in a mock salute. The two of them walked on in silence as they moved through the halls, Ken took in every detail, the layout of the halls, the Holocamera and guns emplacements, and the guard's room, all of it. It was a skill that Jango had impressed upon him, 'take in all of your surrounding now, and you'll be able to use them to your advantage later.'

Jango. Ken realized what he had said in the confrontation earlier was true; he didn't need his help any more, but he found that that fact saddened him more than any thing else, with out Jango being hired to 'look after' him, Ken would move into his own branch of work and the two of them would quickly lose contact – after all, bounty hunting was not a very sociable occupation. All of this was assuming that Jango would even _talk_ to him after their last two 'chats.'

"We're here." Said Zora gruffly as they reached a large transparisteel door. The door was blaster proof, Ken guessed, judging by the thickness, and behind this was a metre thick blast door. The blast door was open at the moment, but there was no doubt that Krayn's stronghold was well secured. The transparisteel doors slid open to admit Ken and Zora, behind a large Wroshyr wood desk, with his feet lazily crossed on top of it was a hulking alien. Four glowing red eyes gleamed out of the blue corral like face, and beneath his eyes was a large maw filled with large sharp teeth. To say that Krayn's physical appearance was terrifying was an understatement, and that was quite aside from his horrible reputation. Even Ken was taken aback for a fraction of a second, but shoving any personal fears away to the back of his mind where they belonged, he filled himself once more with a cocky manner and sauntered into the room with the air of someone about to order take-away at a fast food joint. And lightly threw himself into the chair on the near side of the desk, "Good afternoon Krayn." He said pleasantly, "I hear that you are the worst of the worst – the most hated and cursed of all the slave traders in the Galaxy."

"Such praise." Responded Krayn, apparently unperturbed by Ken's apparent lack of fear. "I see you've met Zora, now let me introduce you my other trusted associate, this is Rashtah." He gestured to a hulking Wookie as he stepped out of the shadows. Ken only just stopped himself from starting, so focused on Krayn had he been that he'd not even noticed the presence of the large Wookie.

"Pleasure to meet you." Said Ken, not meaning it at all.

Krayn removed his feet from the table and sat up properly, "May I invite you to remove your cloak?" he asked, though it wasn't a question. Ken supposed it was a way of making you feel defenceless, or maybe Krayn just found it disconcerting speaking to someone whom he couldn't see the face of. Either way, Ken had no intention of revealing his face the alien. "I'd rather not." Replied Ken firmly

"But I _insist_." Purred Krayn, waving his hand, Rashtah's blaster swung around to bear on Ken.

"I said I'd rather ­_NOT!_" repeated Ken leaping to his feet, he threw out his hand and used the Force to fling Rashtah against the back wall. A sudden movement behind him, caused him to rock onto his left foot and kick back with his right, his boot caught Zora in the stomach, sending her stun bolt wide and throwing her backwards, at the same time his lightsaber landed in his hand and the scarlet blade extended to a centimetre from Krayn's nose. All without displacing his cloak. For a second no one moved.

"You're a Jedi?" asked Krayn, staring fearfully at the ruby blade pointed at him.

"Oh no." said Ken softly "_much_ worse."

"In what way _worse_?" asked Zora, struggling to her feet.

"Unlike the disillusioned Jedi, I follow no ones code but my own."

"I other words, instead of being controlled like a laser blast, you damage indiscriminately, like a grenade." Said Zora distastefully.

"Well if the Jedi are as inaccurate as your shooting is I'd rather be me thankyou very much." Commented Ken dryly, "But I believe rather than an ethical debate you brought me here to bump somebody off, so tell me, who is it that you want to prematurely drop off their perch?" as he spoke he sat down and shut off his lightsaber, twirling the hilt through his fingers.

Krayn regained his composure and sat up strait in his chair again. "Honestly, if Sidious hadn't recommended you…" he started

"You'd do _what_?" sneered Ken waving his lightsaber hilt in front of the T'surr's nose "You're hardly in a position to do or not do _anything_." With a neat flick of his wrist he flicked his lightsaber up into the air and caught it upside down, and clipped it onto his belt in one practiced movement.

For a moment there was silence, then "It's the senator from Sor'udeina." Said Krayn at last, "His movements in the senate are getting rather annoying, positively bad for business in fact." Ken put on an extremely false sympathetic face and said "And that would _never_ do, would it."

"No not at all." Agreed Krayn, ignoring Ken's tone.

"So where is this fellow then?" asked Ken lazily, inspecting his nails as if he wasn't really interested in the answer.

"Dear, dear we are impatient, aren't we?" tutted Krayn as he reached into a desk draw, Ken tensed slightly, but the slave trader pulled out a simple data map and slid it across the desk. "It just so happens that senator Jodukeh is on Nar Shaddaa at the moment..." Said Krayn as Ken studied the map carefully; it appeared to be some sort of building plan. The slave trader continued "…Doing what ever it is that Pollies do when they visit other planets.

"You see. He's being coming out to Nar Shaddaa a lot recently as part of some great scheme or another. Like clock-work every month he's coming out here and staying at the diplomatic quarters. I suspect that a spy has infiltrated my organization…" Ken noticed a flicker of something akin to fear shoot from somewhere in the room only to be clamped down on like iron "…but unfortunately I've been unable to find anyone." He patted the map gently and said "So if I can't get rid of the spy, I can get rid of the contact. This map is a blue print of the diplomatic building over in sector four, Rashtah will guide you over to the building, but once there – you're on your own."

"Of course." Nodded Ken "now I believe that Sidious already arranged a commission for this job, so that's all sorted out, which I think leaves only with the _collection_ of the payment."

"Payment on delivery." Said Krayn quickly, "The prearranged price only, any extra costs are yours to foot, I don't offer bail or prison break for any employee, I do however offer _death_ for anyone that talks – clear?"

"Yeah, yeah. Done, dusted, agreed, signed sealed and delivered and all that other junk." Said Ken dully, "Now I'm afraid that I have to use the 'fresher, after which I'll start immediately."

"Fine, fine. Zora show him the way, will you?"

Zora started "What?" she spluttered, "Have I been relegated to tour guide or something? Why am I stuck with…?"

"You'll have to excuse Zora here," said Krayn cutting over her "She is sometimes a little… _Feisty_. But don't worry," he glared pointed at her "She won't cross me, _will_ you?"

The two matched glares for a time, before at last; Zora bowed her head and nodded glumly. "No." she agreed, "No I won't." she looked over at Ken and tossed her head impatiently. "C'mon then." She said. Suddenly Ken was looking at a much younger young woman – perhaps thirteen or fourteen – with blond hair, but the same fierce blue eyes. "No way!" the girl was saying vehemently, "No way am I going to be Obi-Wan's date!"

There was that bloody Obi-Wan again, Ken couldn't help but notice that everywhere he went that name seemed to get dragged out somewhere; it was getting rather irritating. "Relax Padawan." Said another voice – an older woman whom Ken couldn't see. "You're only being asked to dance with him, and if you don't go with him you'll have to go with somebody else. And that runs the risk of something being said which we would all rather regret."

"Don't you trust me to keep my mouth closed?" asked the young girl – the Padawan.

"Yeah, just like Kegan." Said a new voice, a voice of a male teenager whose voice was yet to settle. After a second Ken realized to his shock that it was a younger version of his own voice.

"No one asked you." Growled the girl.

"Both of you! That's enough." Barked the older woman, who could only be a Jedi master, "Now really Siri. Qui-Gon and I will be dancing – it's only polite, and it's really not that much of a drama."

"Easy for you to say." Mumbled the girl, "Can't I just go with no one?"

"Hey…" his younger voice was cut off as Ken yanked himself sharply out of his memory(1), stumbling over into the wall in the process; somehow he had stood up without noticing. "Did you enjoy your trip?" asked Krayn lazily

"Yeah, wonderful time. Can't wait to go again." Muttered Ken, walking into the sensor area for the door, he shot through the gap as soon as it was wide enough to fit through. _'I hope that doesn't happen again,'_ he thought _'if that sort of memory resurgence happens in a fight, I'm as good as dead.'_ As Zora slipped out the door behind him he realised that his illusion projection over his face had slipped a bit. taking a deep calming breath, he carefully propped the illusion back up, once again hiding his face in darkness. Zora took the lead, striding down the corridor to the left of the door, Ken jogged to get into step with her, "What's the rush?…" He asked "…_Jedi._"

Zora froze. "What makes you think that?" she asked cautiously. Ken said nothing. Zora sighed "I was once," she conceded at last. "But if you tell that to another person I'll insure that you die a very painful death. I might not still be a Jedi but I'm still damn good with the blade." Ken was pretty sure that he could beat Zora if it came to it, but he wouldn't tell anyone, if only for the reason that he felt a certain kinship with Zora; here was someone else who had escaped the clutches of the Jedi.

In silence the two ex-Jedi walked along corridor, until they reached the refreshers – both clearly marked with rather imaginative Graffiti. "I trust that you can find your way from here." Said Zora dryly, without waiting for an answer, she turned and walked away.

Ken stepped into the refresher with unease, something wasn't right about this whole thing; Krayn's responses had been as Ken had envisaged them, and he had acted almost exactly as he had thought he would, but nevertheless, the force felt uneasy… _'I didn't think I'd ever say this,'_ he thought,_ 'but Jango, I wish you where here… I could use your judgement.'­­_

* * *

Even as the door closed behind Ibonek and Zora, Krayn turned to Rashtah, "Now listen carefully, this is for you're ears only. You are to accompany this _Ibonek_ on his mission until he reaches the senate building; you will wait outside – out of the sight of the public – until he has completed his task and returned to you, you will begin to escort him back here, but as soon as he lets his guard down you will kill him… blast him, knife him – however you want to do it, but I want him dead."

Rashtah roared in understanding.

* * *

Zora was shaking, the adrenalin that had been causing through her veins since the incident in Krayn's office, was beginning to fade, leaving her feeling week and empty. It had taken every bit of self control she had accumulated during her Jedi training to stop herself either throwing herself at the twisted shadow that was the dark Jedi, of crying out loud in terror – It had been just such an evil creature of corse, that had killed Obi-Wan… and – as she knew from experience – _that_ was not an easy feat. For the fist time since starting this crazy mission, she had felt fear, fear quickly banished, but fear nonetheless.

As she reached her room, she slipped in and carefully locked and barricaded the door, she grabbed a scourerfrom the basin, and scrubbed at her face, wiping the dark markings from under her eyes, she reached under her bed and grabbed a long brown cloak and put it on, she looked into the mirror, a face much less fierce stared back at her, she eased her features out of Zora's scowling look and into a more relaxed _'Jedi'_ expression. With the exception of her darkened hair, she was once again Siri Tachi, and she had an urgent message for the council.

* * *

1830 hours – 46 hours after attack on temple

Qui-Gon strode into the Council chambers, to his surprise, there wasn't a full council awaiting him, only Yoda, Mace, Ki-Adi-Mundi and Adi Gillia where in the room, Yoda sat in his usual chair, his eyes closed in meditation, behind him stood Mace, gazing out across the city-scape of Coruscant. The other two masters sat in their respective seats, their eyes tracking Qui-Gon as he walked to the centre of the circle. "Good afternoon, Qui-Gon." Said Mace, turning to face the rest of the room.

"You have some information as to where Obi-Wan might be?" asked Qui-Gon, remembering what the council had called him for.

"Indeed." Said Mace, "But let us wait for the rest of your team first…" at that moment the doors slid open again and Garen and Bant walked in, they too walked to the centre of the room alongside Qui-Gon and bowed.

"Welcome." Said Mace again, this time walking over to his seat and plopping down into it, "please," he said, "for the purpose of this discussion, take a seat." Qui-Gon started, never before had the council asked him to take a seat in the council chambers, even for the very long meetings. Then again, mostly if only four members of the council where present, the meeting would be held somewhere a bit less formal. Shoving the thoughts aside, he took a seat, Garen and Bant sitting either side of him.

Yoda slowly opened his eyes, "A transmission, we have received." he said getting to the point, "from an undercover Jedi, It is. Seen our target, she has."

"Where?" asked Qui-Gon carefully, they hadn't told the council about what they suspected about in regard to Obi-Wan having amnesia, and he wasn't sure where the council would stand after he dropped _that_ bombshell on them, he certainly didn't want to destroy any chance of getting the council on his side before the meeting had even properly begun.

"From Nar Shaddaa, the report came from." Said Yoda "There young Dark Obi-Wan is."

"May we see this transmission?" asked Bant

"No." answered Mace immediately. "The mission is top secret, and very sensitive, hence there only being the four of us, we only have involved you in as much as we have because it was essent…"

"Hold it a second." Said Adi Gillia from across the room, "There is no reason why they shouldn't see it, if Kenobi…"

Qui-Gon winced at the way in which she spat the name.

"…is indeed on Nar Shaddaa, then the mission, I suspect, will soon be finishing, one way or another, anyway."

All eyes looked to Yoda to make the decision; the ancient master closed his eyes, "Hmm, right Adi is, the time for secrecy over it is. End soon, will operation Krayn."

"Very well," sighed Mace, he pulled a receiver out of his pocket, "I dare say the identity of the agent will come as a shock to you…" he said. With the press of a button, a hologram appeared in the centre of the room. A full sized image of a woman flickered into being, though the image was grainy, and entirely blued out, there was no doubt who the hologram was of.

"Siri!" breathed Bant

'_So Adi wasn't being hopelessly optimistic after all, she had known all along that the girl would someday be returning,'_ mused Qui-Gon… Siri began to speak; "Masters, I don't have much time, the only reason I risk contacting you at all at this time is because of the gravity of what I have to say." She closed her eyes and took a deep calming breath before speaking again, "Just before, Krayn was visited by a man in regard to an assassination, this man through a blatant display of the force and the use of a lightsaber, revealed himself as a dark Jedi. Moreover he recognized me as being a Jedi despite my shielding. I told him that I was an _ex_-Jedi, and he seemed to accept it, but nevertheless, it makes me nervous, Krayn will almost certainly have me killed if he finds out that I trained at the temple.

"I haven't been able to learn anything about his identity – he was wearing a heavy hood and cloak, but he did seem familiar somehow, so I'm thinking that he might be a former Jedi himself. given the casual way that he used the Force, he must pretty powerful," the hologram flickered as Siri paused, "I have to go now before I'm missed, Tachi out." The hologram flickered once more before fading, from sight, leaving the room totally silent.

"If it is indeed Kenobi on Nar Shaddaa," said Ki-Adi-Mundi presently "Then you must mobilize quickly to wipe out this threat."

Garen and Bant quickly looked at Qui-Gon, a subtle probing in their stare; Yoda of course missed none of it. "Something to say, have you master Qui-Gon?" he asked

"Only to wonder if Obi-Wan needs eliminating." He replied

Yoda looked sideways at Mace who returned the look, it was obvious that there had been an extensive 'discussion' between the two of them on this topic, though who had won was not clear, _'though'_ reflected Qui-Gon, _'it's quite possible there hasn't been a result knowing those two – they can both be pretty stubborn when they want to be.'_ Across the room Adi voiced categorical dissent, "You're letting your feeling on this matter cloud your judgement Qui-Gon." She said, "He is a very real threat, he killed five Jedi and seriously injured a sixth – your own Padawan in fact, he has enough evidence against him to advocate taking him out."

"And when I entered this room, I would have thought the same thing in regards to _your_ Padawan, Adi." Returned Qui-Gon evenly, "Turned to the Dark Side, joined pirates, abandoned the Jedi, abandoned her _Master_, sound familiar?"

Adi sighed stiffy, "And you have no idea how much I want to tell people they're wrong when I hear that," she said, "But if people knew, Siri would be compromised, and so I must keep quiet. But _Obi-Wan_ is acting under his on volition, it is a different thing altogether."

"He is acting under his own volition," Qui-Gon agreed, "But he's not acting under _Obi-Wan's_ volition." Leaving exactly what he meant unsaid for the time being, he produced the Holocube that he and Garen had found. "Master Muln and I traced Obi-Wan to a warehouse, near the edge of the Works, a search of the warehouse yielded this." He said waving the Holocube, before activating it. Once again the black dressed man spoke the message to Obi-Wan. The four council members regarded the hologram thoughtfully as it finished up and faded away.

"What does he mean by _'regaining his old life'_?" asked Mace, leaning forward intently

It was Yoda who answered, "Think Qui-Gon does, that lost his memory young Obi-Wan has."

"Yes." Confirmed Qui-Gon, "That message, along with odd behaviour he displayed in the temple, strongly suggests that that's the case. Bant has further evidence, which I'll leave for her to explain…"

"During the fight with Master Antara," started Bant, "Qui-Gon said that Obi-Wan had been hit by the hilt of master Antara's lightsaber. When I checked the hilt I was able to get a small amount of skin and blood off of it – not much but enough to get a blood analysis done, which yielded some interesting results.

"From the blood test I was able to conversely prove that it was indeed Obi-Wan we where dealing with. I also compared the sample with Obi-Wan's reactivated medical records and found that the levels of some base elements where different from his records, meaning that Obi-Wan was suffering from an ongoing health problem. When Garen and master Qui-Gon found that message, I was able to confirm their theory that Obi-Wan could have suffered Memory loss due the fall on Naboo, the theory fits well within the averages of similar cases."

"You do realize that many other explanations are possible for such a change." Was the argument raised by Ki-Adi-Mundi

"Yes that's true, but in this case I don't think it's a an unreasonable assumption given the other evidence." Responded Bant eloquently

"A good assumption it is." Agreed Master Yoda, "By themselves, either argument, easily destroyed they are. But together not so easily hmm?" he looked thoroughly pleased about something "An attempt to return Obi-Wan's Memories, we must make."

"It would have to be a small strike force." Said Mace "Otherwise we run the risk of Kenobi fleeing before we can draw him into a fight." Garen opened his mouth to argue, but Mace cut him off. "If you can draw him into a fight, then another Jedi can hit him with a hypo or a stunner hopefully ending the need to physically restrain him."

"What _I_ had in mind," said Qui-Gon, "Is that I go to Nar Shaddaa alone, and try to talk him into returning to the temple, if I fail, then I will contact you for backup and then we can try Mace's plan."

Yoda looked at Qui-Gon critically, "Why think that your responsibility _alone,_ it is to recover Obi-Wan?" he asked

That made Qui-Gon stop and think. Just why _was_ he so reluctant to go along with Mace's plan, his immediate thought was that even a Jedi could make mistakes in a fight, he was worried about injuring or killing Obi-Wan without meaning to. But in his heart he knew that wasn't the real reason. "He was my Padawan," answered Qui-Gon slowly "I feel like I owe him this much. I should have protected him better in the first place – trained him harder or something."

"Hmm," said Yoda, "Know that you do, only so much you can give to a being," he accented his speech with his gimer stick, "that after that, up to them it is." He glared at Qui-Gon who stared back, with a gah of impatience and a wave of his stick, Yoda said "Be off with you then. Go, recover your old Padawan, and Blame yourself no more…"

* * *

**AN: That mineral level stuff is actually true, believe it or not. I remember hearing about it on the radio at some point, but I can't remember any of the details, so I left it rather vague. Next chapter… Anakin awakens, Obi-Wan attacks Senator Jodukeh, Qui-Gon leaves for Nar Shaddaa, and Siri plots… she really doesn't like Ken Ibonek you know.**

**(1) ****What Obi-Wan was going to say in the memory was **"Hey I'm not particularly thrilled about this either, but It's only for an hour or so." **But I couldn't put that in without it being a dead give away to even Ken what exactly was going on. as for why he (Ken) hasn't worked it out, remember, he is in some ways, only three years old…**

**And to clear any confusion here is a timeline starting from when Ken attacks the temple,**

**Day 1 – evening, Ken attacks the temple and fights Qui-Gon.**

**Day 2 – morning, Ken meets Sidious; Qui-Gon overhears the Padawans in the canteen; Qui-Gon is chosen to lead the investigation.**

**Day 2 – mid-day, Ken leaves Coruscant; Qui-Gon starts the investigation; he and Garen leave the temple.**

**Day 2 – afternoon/evening, Jango leaves Coruscant; Qui-Gon and Garen find the holocube left for Ken.**

**Day 3 – mid-day, Jango & Ken arrive on Nar Shaddaa and argue; the temple investigation continues.**

**Day 3 – evening, Ken meets with Krayn; Siri sends message to the council; Qui-Gon and co meets with council.**

**This chapter officially marks the longest one included so far – I hope I haven't disappointed. About the spelling – Slaps self hard – Sorry, I promise once I've finished posting all the chapters I'll go back and fix them up. But if you see any thing really bad let me know exactly what and I'll fix it up now. **

**Expect more chapters coming to your Galaxy… soon.**


	14. And Partings

**STARWARS: Fallen future**

Part I: Path of Shadows

* * *

**Chapter XIII: And Partings…**

-"There are something's that even Master Qui-Gon can't do alone… And Obi-Wan Kenobi is one of them." **– Anakin**

--

Anakin's eyes slid open to a bright white light, the smell of antiseptic, and the sound of beeps and chimes – the healer's ward he realized dimly. He thought of sitting up, but the pain brought on by even slightly tensing his stomach muscles was more than enough to change his mind. Running the fight that had put him in this predicament in the first place through his mind, he frowned at himself; he'd been played like a musical instrument, he'd been goaded into making a mistake, a mistake that had almost got him killed. For the first time he appreciated the lesson that Qui-Gon was always trying to impress upon him; _always_ keep calm, even during a fight.

Speaking of Qui-Gon, Anakin suddenly wondered where he was. "Master?" he asked cautiously, his Master had _promised_ to be there when he woke up.

"I'm right here Padawan." Came his master's tired voice. Anakin turned his head to the right where Qui-Gon sat in a bed-side chair, he looked tired, as if he hadn't gotten very much sleep over the last few days, but he wore a warm smile, though his face still showed some lingering signs of worry, "How do you feel." He asked

Anakin thought for a moment, "Pretty well I suppose – considering." He said at length, but it hurts when I try to sit up."

Qui-Gon nodded "An Paj said that nothing major got hit – which is fortunate – but that it could be quite a while before the pain fades. If you take it easy, and possibly have another Bacta dip, you should be back to a hundred percent in a couple of weeks."

"How long have I been out?" Anakin wondered out loud.

"Almost forty-eight hours." Answered Qui-Gon

"Forty-eight hours!" exclaimed Anakin – more than a little taken aback. "Oh." he said nothing as his brain processed that he'd missed out on two days of his life before at last asking, "Have you found out who that Dark Jedi was?" He was unable to prevent the heat he felt at the being that had skewered him from colouring his voice.

Qui-Gon bowed his head. "Yes we have." He said at last, "We believe that it was a Jedi who…"

"Betrayed us." Finished Anakin viciously. Qui-Gon actually smiled, Anakin couldn't believe it, how could he actually smile about something as serious as this – it was only a half-smile granted, but a smile none the less. In Anakin's opinion, to betray the Jedi was equivalent to killing your own family – he couldn't understand how anyone could do it.

If anything, at Anakin's apparently bewildered expression, Qui-Gon's expression became wider. "Actually, not quite, my impatient young Padawan." He said in a tone that Anakin knew to be light admonishment. "I was going to say; A Jedi who somehow had their mind wiped."

"Had their mind wiped?" repeated Anakin dubiously, "how do we know that it's not someone who just plain turned to the Dark Side?"

"Garen Muln and I discovered some evidence that supports the theory, I have just been in the council chambers – nominally because the council just confirmed that he's now moved to Nar Shaddaa – but also to argue with the council to let…"

"Wait, you mean _you're_ in charge of the investigation?" butted in Anakin

"You needn't sound so surprised," said Qui-Gon wryly "I _am_ a Jedi of many talents you know."

"Yeah, but I…" Anakin drifted off. Truth-be-told he was a little bit put out that Qui-Gon had been involved in an investigation while _he_ had been unconscious. Casting around to find something to say that wasn't pointless, he eventually settled on "Who is this Jedi that you think has been mind wiped?"

Qui-Gon looked down again. For a long time Anakin thought he'd say nothing, but then at last he looked back up to his face and said "Do you remember a Jedi named Obi-Wan Kenobi?"

Anakin squinted in confusion; of course he remembered him, he had been only the second Jedi he had ever met, he personally had thought the Jedi Padawan a little cold, but nevertheless he had been rather sad when the young Jedi had died. "He was your Padawan before me." He said "But he died, so what does he have to do with anything?"

Qui-Gon said nothing.

"Wait, you mean _he's_ the one who attacked us?" burst out Anakin in sudden understanding; "_He's_ the one who did _this_ to me?" he pointed at his stomach.

"I'm afraid so." Answered Qui-Gon quietly. Anakin stared, _'no wonder he's been a little guarded with his answers'_ he thought, after all, he mused, it wasn't everyday that your dead old Padawan suddenly turned up and tried to kill you're new one. "I know what you're probably thinking." Said the master quickly, "But don't worry, while I believe that Obi-Wan's memory, though lost, _can_ be saved, if it can't be – or I'm wrong about him having lost it in the first place, I will…" but exactly _what_ his master do if he was wrong, Anakin would never know, for at that moment, A young Jedi healer bustled in, Healer Caudle if he wasn't mistaken.

"An paj asked me to come and see if you're alright." He said without ceremony. "I might have known he was _your_ apprentice master Jinn – If I hadn't already know. Can't you pick one who isn't always injuring themselves?" he asked as he checked the monitors connected to Anakin.

"They do rather seem to make a habit of it, don't they?" answered Anakin's Master with a sigh. "But to be fair he was rather viciously attacked this time."

"So I hear," said Caudle, "It's the talk of the Temple, I hear that even the supreme chancellor got wind of it, and has been asking questions."

"Palpatine?" Qui-Gon groaned, "How did he hear about it? The council said they were telling no one out side of the Jedi." Anakin thought that that was a little unfair, he _was_ the supreme chancellor after all, shouldn't such an important figure be privy to some information that the rest of the public wasn't? He often said that it was hard to keep up with some of the 'emerging scandals' that frequently littered the holonews – almost never accurate or truthful as Palpatine was quick to point out –if the Jedi kept blindsiding him on current affairs. But Anakin sensed that his opinion would be somewhat south of welcome here and so kept it to himself, the issue of Chancellor Palpatine was one of the few things that Anakin flat out disagreed with his master on. While he saw the Chancellor as a great example of what a republic leader _should_ be like, his master constantly assured him that he was no different to any other self serving leader that the republic had had. When however, Anakin had asked why then would he have taken an interest in a boy well below his station – with no advantage to anyone's agenda, Qui-Gon had merely said that he didn't know.

He was dimly aware that Caudle was speaking to him, something about would he like to sit up, realizing that he was expected to answer, he protested, "But I can't. It hurts if I even slightly tense my stomach muscles."

Qui-Gon chuckled, "If you hadn't been in a world of your own, my young Padawan, you would have heard Caudle say that he can adjust the bed-back, so that you are propped up." He looked over at the healer, "Though I have to ask if it is really a good idea, he _has_ just woken up, I don't want to put to much stress on his injury…"

"I'll be fine master." Said Anakin, he couldn't see why Caudle would have even suggested it if he didn't think he was capable of taking it, and he said as much. Caudle smiled at him, while Qui-Gon fixed him with a worried stare.

"Right now grab on to the rails," said Caudle, physically moving his hands to the rails on either side of the bed that where designed to stop a being from rolling out, "That will stop you from slipping down, now try to relax your body as much as possible." Said the healer, "It may be a bit uncomfortable but it is important that you actually use the muscles, even if only slightly, otherwise they can grow improperly and give you problems further down the track like back pains and that sort of thing."

Anakin nodded grimly and grit his teeth as Caudle raised the back of the bed to about forty-five degrees, immediately pain lanced through his body, making him flinch, "Relax Padawan Skywalker." Instructed the healer. Drawing upon the Force, he tried to wash all of the tension from his body, it sort of worked, but he'd never been particularly good at this type of exercise, so perhaps the effect was less than it could have been. With his body mostly relaxed, the sensation dulled to being rather uncomfortable, if not actually painful – or at least it was until he subconsciously tried to shift his weight, nestle into the mattress, which caused another lance of pain to spear through him.

"Put him back down!" said Qui-Gon fearfully, apparently misunderstanding the cause of Anakin's pain, "He's in too much pain, put him back down…"

"I'm fine Master!" insisted Anakin heatedly, "Gee, it's not as bad as it could have been, relax."

For a second Qui-Gon's expression appeared hurt, but a second later it was gone. Caudle examined him for a moment "Well if you think you're right for the moment, I have other duties to attend to, so I'll leave you now." He said before taking his leave, leaving Qui-Gon and Anakin alone again.

"Are you mad at me for not being able to protect you?" asked Qui-Gon, his hurt feelings thinking up the only reason for Anakin's snapping at him – how ever illogical it was. "You do know that I can only do so much…"

"What?" exclaimed Anakin in bewilderment, "No, no. it's nothing like that master, it's just that you can be a bit… overbearing… and," he looked away slightly, "You're going to go away from the temple, aren't you master." It wasn't a question.

'_How did he figure _that_ out?'_ wondered Qui-Gon, "A vision?" he guessed

Anakin shook his head, "Just a feeling," he said, "plus it's not exactly hard to figure out, Obi-Wan has moved to Nar Shaddaa, he's your old Padawan, and you think he's memory can be restored – you're going to go and reason with him. Try to anyway."

"I'm impressed Padawan." Said Qui-Gon with a touch of pride, "You seem to have gained a new level of maturity and insight with all this business." He sighed, "Yes, I am going." He said. It hadn't occurred to him until this moment that when he went on this mission he would have to leave his Padawan behind.

"Alone?" asked Anakin. Qui-Gon nodded. "It's going to be dangerous." The boy protested.

"Well nominally its not, but I suppose if Obi-Wan refuses to come back to the temple for treatment, things could get violent, so yes, I suppose it is dangerous."

"What about me?" asked Anakin. Qui-Gon had been expecting a question along these lines, and so already had a response ready, "You'll have to stay here." He said "You can't come along with that injury."

"But you're going to need help." Protested Anakin

"I'll call for backup if I need it Padawan, don't worry about that, but I have a feeling that I can reach him." After that, their conversation moved onto other things, Qui-Gon thought that Anakin seemed a bit distracted for the rest of the talk, but put it down to everything that had happened to him, plus the pain that sitting up, must be causing him. After a few hours of talking, punctuated occasionally by An Paj or Caudle bringing water or pain killers for Anakin, Qui-Gon thought that he'd better think about organizing his transport, and so with a warm farewell, he stood up and left, he walked down the corridor, across the waiting room, out the door into the rest of the temple… and straight into Adi Gillia.

"Ah, I was looking for you Qui-Gon." Said the council member as they picked themselves up of the floor.

"Oh hi Adi." Replied Qui-Gon, massaging his elbow, which he had landed on. "I was just going to go and organize a ship for my mission."

Adi nodded, "I have a request for you while you're on Nar Shaddaa." She said

"Is this about Siri?" asked Qui-Gon. "Yes." Said Adi, slowly leading him down the corridor. Qui-Gon could help but notice that whether by accident or design, they where going in the opposite direction from the hanger. "Yes." Repeated Adi, "She's been gone almost three years, I know that she can sometimes be a bit of a perfectionist, but surely by now she's got enough evidence to sink Krayn, if that's the case, then whether she's got everything that she could get or not; I want her extracted."

"If it is possible to do so without interfering too much with my mission, I'll do it." Replied Qui-Gon, "but I have a feeling that due to the clash of personalities between _Ken_ as he calls himself now, and Siri, Krayn might have to solve himself, or risk getting caught in the crossfire."

"Keep an eye out for her anyway." Said Adi, "Particularly if Obi-Wan and she do come to scraps. Though I hope she doesn't, since that would certainly blow her cover, and put her in a kill or be killed position."

"I will keep an eye out for her." Promised Qui-Gon. That Adi was also warning _him_ to avoid blowing Siri's cover went without saying…

* * *

Siri/Zora finished applying all her facial markings again, before entering the comm. frequency for the Senate hotel. "This is Zora of Captain Krayn's office," She said "I need to be put onto Senator Jodukeh immediately." She had decided while she had been re-Zora-ifying herself, that though she had contacted the temple, she couldn't wait for them. Ibonek could have finished the assassination and left the planet by the time Coruscant could get anyone here – it was just too far away. So although even _she_ recognized her plan was rather reckless, she had decided that she could deal with the repercussions later if it came to that, hopefully the council would forgive her if was forced to kill Krayn in self defence.

After a few seconds, the droids at the hotel connected her to Senator Jodukeh's room, and an aid picked up the call. "Rovve, druc uc dro reweabikvo Hofhojodkukalo Jodukeh's eppulo. Hello, this is the honourable Hofhojodkukalo Jodukeh's office." Said the female human, first in what Zora assumed to be Sor'udeinan, then in basic

"This is Zora of Captain Krayn's crew." Said Siri/Zora

"Oh! M-master Zora! What can we do for you?" fumbled the senator's aid.

"I believe that you should be aware that there is an assassination attempt planned for senator Jodukeh this evening, I'm not aware of all the details, but I suggest that you should probably be at maximum security for tonight."

"Oh… ah, thank you." Said the aid, "Not that we're not grateful, but why are you telling us this? It's not like there's any love lost between the Captain and the Senator…"

Siri/Zora looked theatrically to the side, as if seeking conformation from a superior, while trying desperately to think of an appropriate response to the question "We have our own reasons." She settled for at last, looking back at the camera. "You can either take my advice, or you can take your chances and die." Before the aid could think up anymore stupid questions, Siri/Zora hang up.

If they where smart, they would now remove the senator from the building, if they weren't, they'd probably just throw a few dozen guards in the way of the entrance. Either way, she just hoped that they killed Ibonek before he left the building. Otherwise, she'd have to hope that Krayn's inherent mistrust of Force users would be enough to get _him_ to silence Ibonek after he'd killed the senator…

* * *

Ken entered Krayn's office again with all doubt cast from his mind. "I'm ready." He declared boldly

"Good, Good." Said Krayn, "But there has been a slight change in plan." Ken glared at him, "Do explain." He said

"My friend here, Rashtah, will be accompanying you until the entrance of the building. He will also escort you back. This is simply to insure that you complete your mission, he will not interfere with your work at all." Said Krayn

"See that he doesn't." Replied Ken, "Because if he does, you will be paying me the full fee regardless. Agreed?"

"That would be… acceptable." Agreed Krayn stiffly,

"Good then," said Ken, "I suppose you had better follow me then Rashtah." He called over his shoulder as he turned and stalked from the room.

"Go Rashtah," said Krayn quietly "And do try not to kill him until _after_ he's killed the senator." Rashtah growled an affirmative before striding after the cloaked bounty hunter.

* * *

Qui-Gon was getting rather frustrated, he'd barley finished signing-out one of the transports and was on his way back to collect a few of his belongings, when he was accosted by Garen about the still unidentified man in the hologram, then, no sooner had he escaped Garen, than he ran into Mace, then Bant, and then when leaving his quarters again – fully packed, he'd been met by Yoda, warning him that despite hopes, there was a very real chance that they might never get Obi-Wan back again. _'Yes Garen, I'll try to find out where he fits in.'_ he thought grumpily, _'Yes Mace, I'll be careful. I'll do my best to bring him home Bant. I'm aware of that Master Yoda, and yes Adi, I'll watch out for Siri! Honestly, why don't they all get that I want a little bit of breathing room.'_

Needless to say, he was having a proverbial 'Bad day at the office' and hence, was rather less than impressed when he arrived at the hanger only to find that he had been assigned a different ship to what he had requested. "But I clearly specified that I wanted the X-FLR 6." He argued with the Jedi Padawan on hanger administration duty.

"I'm sorry, I only do what is worked out by the computer," said the late teens Twi'lek Padawan, "I checked the list and it had you down as having the bigger craft…"

"But why would I have wanted a craft capable of taking _six_ passengers?" said Qui-Gon, "I'm the only one going, and at the most two will be coming back."

"I'm not familiar with your mission profile." Said the Padawan, "I wouldn't have the foggiest _idea_ how many beings are coming or going with you." Evidently he sensed Qui-Gon's growing displeasure, for he said, "look I can go and get a X-FLR 6 if you want me too Master Jinn, but it will have to be checked and fuelled and…"

"No, never mind." Dismissed Qui-Gon with a wave of his hand. "I don't have time. It might however, be a good idea to give your database a thorough check over."

"Oh I will, don't worry, May the Force be with you."

Still grumbling about the whole thing, Qui-Gon strode off toward the ship. He stopped at the foot of the ramp and took a deep breath; this mission – one way or another – would be a defining moment in his life. With a sigh, he let his feet guide him the ramp.

He slipped into the cockpit and sat down in the pilot's chair, it seemed a little strange without his Padawan sitting in the co-pilot's seat. With another heavy sigh, he started up the ship's systems and gently lifted the craft off the floor of the docking bay, manoeuvring it out of the entrance.

It was impossible, he decided, to have trained three human boys as apprentices without becoming at least a fair pilot; hence Qui-Gon easily moved the ship through the skylanes and out into the outer atmosphere. As he reached space and the edge of the gravity well, his navicomputer began to calculate the jump to Nar Shaddaa. Slipping into a light meditation trance, he reached out to his apprentice through the Force, he didn't receive a reply, but, he reasoned, the boy was probably sleeping; Qui-Gon wouldn't begrudge him that, most Jedi didn't get stabbed in their entire career, let alone at the age of twelve.

As the navicomputer signalled that it had finished the orientation for the jump into hyperspace, he pulled the hyperspace leaver and the craft shot forward, the stars striking into long lines as the craft broke through the dimensional barrier of lightspeed. He leaned back in his seat intending to take a long nap on the way to the Y'Toub system – the star system which Nar Shaddaa occupied. he had thought of bringing along Obi-Wan's lightsaber that he had removed from Naboo, thinking that perhaps the sight of such an important item to Obi-Wan would aid him in recovering his memories, but in the end he had decided against it, primarily for the reason that that lightsaber, and Obi-Wan's original one – one given to him by Yoda – where the only things that had really been _Obi-Wan's_ that he had left. Closing his eyes, he reached out into the Force, preparing to sleep by letting all conscious thought drift from his mind… only to snap back upright, a warning from the Force told him that he was not alone on the ship.

Suddenly, the merely annoying switching of the transports took on a rather more sinister feel. Grabbing his lightsaber, he stood up and crept toward the back of the ship, outside one of the larger storage lockers, Qui-Gon suddenly heard movement behind him, accompanied by a flash in the Force.

He spun around, igniting his lightsaber and raising it high above his head. The green glow of the blade fell on a cloaked figure, untangling itself from one of the storage lockers. As he recognized the person all he felt was blank shock, "What?-"

* * *

Ken crept through the under city of Nar Shaddaa, Rashtah following right behind him. They had been walking through the scummy streets for several hours now, every street filled with litter, and on occasion, bodies. It was not a spot that you would like to have to try and advertise for tourists, Ken decided, what would you say, _'Come and enjoy Nar Shaddaa at it's finest, the crime lords, the bounty hunters, the bodies…' _somehow that didn't really work. At last the apartment complex where the senator was staying came into view. "Right," said Ken turning to look at the tall Wookie, "_You_ can stay here." Leaving Krayn's henchman in the shadows, Ken walked forward to the large building.

He walked through the front door and across the lobby. This was Nar Shaddaa, no one spared him so much as a second glance, at least forty percent of the people there dressed in clothes that completely hid their physical features. Ken, while his cloak was rather more dramatic than what most of the beings wore, nevertheless fitted right in. striding purposefully across the lobby, he made it to the bank of turbo lifts.

He entered one and closed the doors behind him before anyone else could get in. pulling the datamap out of a pocket in his jumpsuit that he wore beneath his robe, he checked which floor he needed. "Of course." he sighed, "It _would_ be the top floor."

With the touch of the button the lift went rocketing up, only to stop with a jarring jolt about a dozen floors later. A second later the lights went off to be replaced with the red emergency lighting. "Great." Said Ken to no one in particular. He snatched his lightsaber off his belt and sliced a hole through the side of the lift, also cutting through the wall and into an adjacent corridor. He stepped through his newly made door, and straight out into the glare of a dozen spotlights. "Oh blast!" Ken was able to say stupidly before storm of blaster bolts streaked toward him.

* * *

**AN: Them in trouble… the answers for both the mysteries at the end of this chapter will be explained in the next one. Healer Caudle comes from Yoda: Dark ** Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 !-- / Style Definitions / p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal mso-style-parent:""; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; page Section1 size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt; mso-header-margin:36.0pt; mso-footer-margin:36.0pt; mso-paper-source:0; div.Section1 page:Section1; -- **Rendezvous****. The next chapter will focus mostly on Ken, with only a little bit of Qui-Gon at the start, so prepare for a little bit of suspense, a little bit of angst, and a lot of action… and prepare for more chapters coming to your galaxy… soon!**


	15. When Good Intentions Go Bad

**STARWARS: Fallen future**

Part I: Path of Shadows

* * *

Chapter XIV: When Good Intentions Turn Bad

_-"Let them bounty hunters come, we'll fix them."_ – **James McCloud,** Nar Shaddaa security commando's leader.

--

"Anakin?! What the blazes are you doing here?!" asked Qui-Gon, his eyes blazing.

"Uh, I came to help." Responded Anakin fearfully, eyeing the lightsaber in Qui-Gon's hand, he shuddered violently, he felt as if he was been stabbed all over again. Swallowing down bile he looked away from the glowing beam, "Uh, master, the lightsaber…" he couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence, that he was _scared_ of the pulsing blade.

_He_ couldn't even understand why he was scared of it.

Fortunately, his master seemed to have sensed his discomfort at the sight of the lightsaber; his eyes softened as he shut off his weapon. "Oh Anakin, why did you do this? You're probably damaged yourself in this little stunt." He chided, "I s'pose I'm going to have to turn around and take you back to the Temple now." He added with a sigh.

"Please don't Master. I'm fine!" Cried Anakin, in truth he felt like he was about to fall to pieces; he ached everywhere and he was sure that someone had decided to stick him again, this time with a rather blunt vibroblade, but the feeling that he'd had in the healers ward had gotten stronger, he _needed_ to go with his master, "You're going to need me," he said, "I _have_ to come."

Qui-Gon seemed to consider this for a moment, "Very well." He relented at last, "But only because the Force wills it." He gave an evil smile, "And you'd better sleep the rest of the way there, if you wake up even _five minutes_ before we reach Nar Shaddaa, I'll turn around and take you straight back to the Temple."

"Yes Master." Said Anakin in relief as he allowed himself to be steered away towards the ship's sleeping cabins. That had always been the weak point of his plan. That if he was revealed at some point, his master might decide to take him back to Temple; even at the expense of the mission. But Anakin had known that the Force was trying to tell him to come on this mission, and the last time he had had ignored such a direct warning from the Force, he and his master had had to fight their way out of a brothel.

"Mind you," said Qui-Gon, breaking him out of his thoughts as the Master tucked him into one of the ship's sleepcots, "I don't know how you're going to help me when you start to hyperventilate at the sight of a lightsaber, but then the Force works in mysterious ways as Yoda is fond of saying."

"Master?" asked Anakin, a horrible thought suddenly occurring to him.

"Mmm?" mumbled Qui-Gon, Anakin took a deep breath, half worried about the answer, "What happens if we do return Obi-Wan Kenobi's Memories?" he asked, seeing Qui-Gon's blank look, Anakin elaborated further. "I mean about you never officially terminating you're apprenticeship and all?"

"You're worried about Obi-Wan usurping your position if he becomes a Jedi again?" asked Qui-Gon. Well Anakin hadn't thought about it quite that bluntly, but it _was_ the gist of what he was saying, so he nodded. "I don't know – I hadn't really thought about it." Sighed Qui-Gon, "The situation is – as far as I know – unprecedented. I would, in a perfect Galaxy, recommend him to take his trials straight away – he _was_ ready at Naboo, and then I would continue to train you." With another sigh, Qui-Gon continued "But I suppose the council will want to stick their bids in, so who knows?"

The two of them where silent for a time, both deep in thought, "Well." Said Qui-Gon at last, with a tousle of Anakin's hair, "I think I'm currently denying you the sleep I ordered you to have, so I'd better go now." He stood up and lightly reached out through the Force and touched his Padawan's mind.

"'Night Master." Said Anakin peacefully at the familiar touch. "Good night Padawan." Responded Qui-Gon warmly. He turned around and stepped through the door. Just as he passed over the threshold, he gave a short laugh.

"What's so funny Master?" asked Anakin, curious despite the tiredness he now suddenly felt.

"Oh nothing," smiled Qui-Gon, "Just imagining the look on the security people back at the temple's faces when I explain to them that a twelve year-old broke into the Ship Roster in about ten minutes flat. Tahl and I always did say that it could be hacked by a child…" Anakin flushed bright pink.

* * *

Ken's moves where instinctual. Even as he was aware that the blaster bolts where bearing down on him, his had was already going for his lightsaber, the scarlet blade interposed it self between him and his enemies, and a second later there where bursts of red light bouncing in all directions.

Ken moved like a blur, his super fast reflexes and Co-ordination allowing him to deflect anything that came within striking distance. _This_ was what he'd been trained for, as much as he had enjoyed his excursion into the Jedi Temple, _this_ was what he was good at, to stand in the middle of a heavy fire fight and not only survive but attack! With a long leap forward, he was in among his would-be shooters – the building's security force and their spotlights. With a pulse through the Force the floodlights tumbled to the ground, the lenses smashing like glass.

With his enemies now at arms length, Ken doubled his attack, four men fell in a diagonal slash, another was hit by one of his college's deflected shots, and two more died when their own bolts hit them, Ken back flipped over a man behind him, as he shot, the missing bolt hit one of the other men in the head – ending his life. Ken landed neatly and skewered his human vault-horse, span around deflected another blast behind his back, before bringing his blade up and decapitating the final guard.

Extinguishing his blade, Ken surveyed the carnage, pleasantly surprised to note that he hadn't even raised a sweat in causing it. He looked closely at the spotlights. Either the Senator was Paranoid, or they had been expecting an attack. _'But what I want to know,'_ thought Ken, _'is how they knew that the lift would stop here?'_ a quick look back into the lift solved the problem – he had hit the button for the top floor, they must have been screening the turbolift for people who would use it to reach the top floor where the Senator was staying. He should have stopped a few floors before the top and then walked the rest of the way. It proved two things, the first was that he was becoming far to lazy and had rather foolishly tipped them off to his exact location, and the second, which made his blood boil; was that someone had told them he was coming – there could be no other conclusion in Ken's mind.

With a last look around the ruined hallway, Ken started for the stairwell which ran up the building along side the turbolifts, calling on the Force, he extended his senses, searching for any ambushes, when he found none on the next few floors above, he bounded up the stairs, using the Force to sustain himself – there where more than 90 floors to go after all. Unfortunately the design of the stairwell was such that at the top of each flight of stairs it opened directly back onto the hallway before a new flight started up from just to the side, hence it was impossible to climb the stairs without entering the main hall on each floor, even if only for a couple of seconds.

Thus it was, that Ken was stumped when after he had climbed about thirty floors, he sensed a dozen or so focused presences above him. Though he wanted nothing more than to dash up, lightsaber blazing, he was aware that if he blindly attacked at every sign of resistance he would have worn himself out long before he reached the top.

Resolving to take the middle ground and attack them from behind instead, he crept down the corridor directly below the ambushed one, dimly he heard – remembered a voice; _'Do what you must, but in an unexpected way.'_ Shoving the thought away, he reached out through the Force; the security team where right above him.

Looking to his left, he saw a door into an apartment, _'perfect.'_

He walked up to it and with a quick touch of the Force the door slipped open and he stepped inside. He didn't know who was more surprised, him, or the Gran who had been reaching out to the door controls to open them when he had barged through. But Ken recovered quicker, in a lightning fast move; he ignited his lightsaber and plunged it through the Gran's throat, before she could scream.

Ken stepped over the sprawled body and walked into the apartment, looking around carefully, once he was sure that there would be no more surprises he turned his attention to the ceiling, these big buildings had air ducts and wiring and Force only knew what else running through the gap between floors, and so – not wanting to have to crawl through live electrical wires – he used the Force to 'see' what areas had less in them. Picking an area that seemed to have little in it; he once again activated his lightsaber and began to cut a circle into it.

As the plug from the ceiling fell free, Ken sent it flying across the room with a touch from the Force, then jumped through the hole… right into the dining room of a couple having dinner.

Both the room's other occupant's leapt to their feet; the male grabbed the wine bottle off the table, intending to use it as a weapon. But Ken simply treated them with another pulse of the Force which sent them sailing into the wall on the other side of the room, knocking them cold. Stepping across the room, Ken entered the small entrance hall and crouched by the door, using the Force to enhance his hearing. "What's the word on the squad down stairs?" asked a voice.

"We lost contact with them about ten minutes ago." Responded another, "Captain McCloud is thinking of sending a few people down to check on them."

"Do you really think this intruder even exists?" asked the first voice.

"If he does, I doubt he'll get up here, he obviously not a pro, or he wouldn't have hit the top floor in the lift, he walked strait into the trap – there's no way he could have got out of that."

Shaking his head at their naive optimism, he stepped back from the door, reaching out through the Force he created his signature Energy Sphere and blasted the door with it. The lump of Durasteel flew across the room, crushing at least two of the men as it slammed into the wall on the other side of the hall. Ken bounded through the doorway a second later, slashing at one of the Security Officers as he passed, and landed in the thick of his would-be ambushers, "Where you looking for me by any chance?" he asked the stunned beings.

Then everything was chaos; rudely choosing to answer Ken by shooting at him, the security team fell into quick ranks blasting at Ken with rapid fire blaster shots, which might of worked had he still been there.

With a flip he decapitated one of the men, and upon landing he swept his blade up, killing two more. The rest of them fell quickly, they had been taken by surprise by Ken entry vector and the fight was in close quarters where the lightsaber had an overwhelming advantage. Ken's next swing slashed through another three men, and he turned to face the remaining seven who peppered him with blaster fire. Deflecting shots hither and thither with his lightsaber in his right hand, he reached into the Force and threw an energy sphere at them with his left.

The resulting explosion threw Ken sailing down the Corridor, _'Blast, not a good idea at close range.'_ He thought. He landed heavily on his back, knocking the breath out of him. Gasping, he sat up to discover that his attack had put a hole through the floor, bits of torn ducting and wiring sparked dangerously, one of the man had been mostly vaporized in the blast, another five had been killed when they had bounced off the walls or the ceiling. Only one – who like Ken had been thrown down the hall – struggled to his feet and struggled to make a getaway.

Spring to his own feet, Ken launched himself after him, running flatfoot down the hall and leaping over the hole blasted in the floor, the surviving man turned and clipped off two shots while Ken was in the air, Ken's lightsaber whipped up and barely deflected both, before he landed and sawed of the mussel of the blaster with one stroke. The man fell back, managing to kick Ken in the stomach as he went. For the second time in fewer minutes, Ken found himself on his back, gasping for air. Gaining his feet once more, he saw the other man desperately try to crawl away. Slowly, he walked after him and pressed his boot between the man's shoulder blades, causing his wobbling arms to give out, dumping him on his chest. Shoving his knee into the back of his captive, he leant down beside the man and pressed the emitter of his deactivated lightsaber into his neck – right below the base of the skull.

"Please!" begged the man, whimpering into the floor. "Please…"

Ken cocked his head slightly with a predatory grin, "Nice try." He whispered into the Man's ear before thumbing the ignition switch on his lightsaber. The body jerked as the red blade severed the spinal cord before relaxing into still death…

* * *

Jango Fett walked into the galactic database public building on Nar Shaddaa; he wanted to do a very specific search on the database. One that if Sidious or Ken found out would ensure that his life wasn't worth living, but it was something that needed to be done. Given the nature of his request he had decided that he'd be better of coming to the Nar Shaddaa database, the reason was two fold, one; so he could keep a eye – even if it was rather a distant one – on Ken, and two; because here, one could cause the library staff selective memory loss with just a few credits.

Stepping up to one of the manned booths, he asked the Phindian teller for a biometric scan, "Do you have an image of the subject?" asked the Phindian

"Of course," said Jango, handing him a hologram of Ken.

"Just a few moments." Said the teller, "Do you have anything that might narrow the search?"

"He's a Jedi." Grunted Jango,

"What?" gasped the teller looking up quickly.

"You heard me." Said Jango, "And this will go no further than you agreed?" he asked shoving a handful of credits at him. The Phindian's eyes widened. "Agreed." He nodded.

Tuning to the computer he connected the holoplayer and then typed a few things into it. Dozens of faces flicked on and off the screen, none of them staying long enough to make out any of the features, after several minutes, the image stopped, flashing on a picture of a young man Jango knew very well, his hair was shorter, and there was the weird plat that Jedi Padawans wore behind their right ear, but it was defiantly Ken. His eyes flicked to the basic information at the head of the picture; 'JEDI PADAWAN OBI-WAN KENOBI, PADAWAN TO MASTER QUI-GON JINN,

HIGHT ONE-SEVEN-NINE CENTIMETRES,' Jango had to read the next bit twice before he could fully comprehend it.

'KILLED IN ACTION BY AN AS OF YET UNKNOWN SITH LORD ON PLANET NABOO DURING THE YEAR THREE AFTER-RESYNCHRONIZATION TRADE FEDERATION DISPUTE.

HIS NAME WAS POST-HUMOROUSLY ENTERED INTO THE JEDI HALL OF FAME FOR OUTSTANDING SERVICE FOR COMBATING THE SITH AT THE BEQUEST OF MASTER JINN.

It was beyond doubt now, Sidious had been lying, there was no such Jedi as Ken Ibonek; his friend was Obi-Wan Kenobi.

* * *

Having killing all of the second squad of security guards, Ken's going was much easier, he didn't run into another ambush or patrol for the rest of the climb up the building. At last, he reached the top of the stairs onto the Penthouse floor, the sole suite of which covered the entire floor. With a flourish, he ignited his lightsaber and dashed out of the stairwell and into the suite, ready to take all comers, only to find… no one – the landing was deserted.

"It's quiet." Muttered Ken to himself, "_Too_ quiet." Nevertheless he extinguished his lightsaber and walked carefully across the landing, every nerve on edge. But to his surprise he made it across and down the broad corridor beyond without anything happening. To increase his unease the sensor door at the end of the hallway slid open as he approached it – it hadn't even been locked. With his lightsaber gripped tightly in his hand, he walked out into the middle of the darkened main room beyond. He could sense danger flicker around him like leaves in a whirlwind – it was impossible to tell exactly where the threat was coming from.

Then like a whirlwind advancing into a tornado, the sense of danger increased exponentially until he realised that it was impossible to pinpoint the direction of the attack because it was coming from everywhere. With that realisation, Ken dropped to the ground like he'd clubbed. And at that same instant, the room seemed to explode around him as blaster fire erupted from all sides. The deadly energy streaked overhead, some of the bolts colliding midair with small blasts of energy. Ken lay perfectly still as the lights flicked on. "Did we get 'em?" asked a gruff voice.

"There's just one sir." Replied another voice.

"Just one?!" exclaimed the first voice. Then mastering himself again he repeated, "Well? Is he dead?"

Through the Force, Ken felt someone approach him. as they cautiously knelt down beside him to reach for his wrist, Ken sent out a blast of the Force which sent the man sailing across the room. In a single Force aided movement, Ken flung himself to his feet, his lightsaber thudding into his palm.

His acrobatics clearly surprised the twenty or so remaining security guards in the room, but the riot gear clad, assault rifle wilding beings quickly reacted; the blaster barrage would have been too much for even a Jedi Master to deflect, but that wasn't a problem since Ken was already gone from his position. With a Force augmented leap, he flipped over the ring of commandos and sliced through two in the backward sweep he performed with his lightsaber before they could adjust their aim. He cartwheeled aside as further blaster volleys streaked after him and pushed with the Force, sending three more of the guards back into the nearby window, which buckled dangerously but held; the three man where knocked cold.

A reflected shot hit another man – a Twi'lek – in the throat, before Ken decided his position was becoming too hot. With another Force leap, he flew at whom he assumed was the leader of the commando force, a hard faced Bothen male – deflecting another bolt into a nearby commando as he went he came down to land half a metre from his quarry. But before he could even move though, a burning pain ripped through his leg just above the knee. With a startled cry Ken went down as the laser blast ate through skin and muscle.

"Get Him!" yelled one of the Commandos as the fifteen remaining fell onto him.

* * *

**AN: a shorter chapter this time. I thought of going further, but I decided to be evil and leave it off here. I'll try to get the next chapter out in the next few days. If there are any fans of starfox out there, you'll have noticed my particular naming of the security commando leader. To everyone still reading good to know your still there, although I've noticed the amount of reviews has dropped off a bit recently. Could I be greedy and ask for a few more? More chapters coming to your galaxy… soon!**


	16. Defeat at a Thousand Feet

**STARWARS: Fallen future**

Part I: Path of Shadows

* * *

**Chapter XV: Defeat at a Thousand Feet**

_-"Damn it, this waiting for confirmation of his death is driving me crazy."_ – **Zora/Siri Tachi**

-|-

Qui-Gon sat in the pilot's seat of his and Anakin's ship as it sped through hyperspace, staring out at the infinitely changing colours and possibilities. Absently he scratched his knee through the fabric of his breeches, then stopped when he realised what he was doing. For the last ten minutes he had – on and off – been scratching his knee for no apparent reason, and the most disturbing thing was that he couldn't stop himself. Every couple of minutes he found himself doing it again, as a Jedi he was normally able to withstand any itch, tickle, niggle, small pain or cramp if he wanted to, and so the fact that he couldn't do it in this case was disturbing to say the least. It was possible for such a thing to happen; between a Master and an Apprentice, the bond that bound them together was strong, and it was possible to feel ghost pains of the real pain that the other felt.

The itch sensation had been something he had once experienced with Xanatos; the then boy had badly broken his arm in a speeder accident while chasing a pair of criminals and Qui-Gon, following further behind had felt an incessant itch which had plagued the spot on his forearm which turned out to be the exact same spot that Xanatos had broken his arm.

He had dismissed the idea in this situation though. The first of two reasons being that his and Anakin's bond was – like Obi-Wan's had been – much stronger than the bond he'd shared with Xanatos; he usually felt mild but acute pain when Anakin hurt himself. The second reason was that Anakin – in this case – was injured in just about every place _except_ the knee.

A short tone from the Nav computer alerted him to there revision from lightspeed in one hour; the journey, and perhaps the whole incident with the re-emergence of Obi-Wan was drawing to a close. But then who was he trying to kid? Even if they succeeded here, it would take many months if not years, and many tears before Obi-Wan recovered…

* * *

Ken tried desperately to throw his attackers off, but it was no use, the immense pain he had felt when he had been shot had been enough to distract him for long enough for the commandos to grasp both his arms, which two of the men where trying to get them down into a position where they could cuff him. His lightsaber had gone missing sometime during the scuffle and his opponents had the advantage of hight and therefore leverage, _and_ he was now injured. That didn't stop him from fighting though.

But his effort was in vain, mere seconds after he had had the bright blaster shot hit him, there was the dreaded click of the stun-cuffs clipping into place. A further second later, he was enveloped in a paralysing blast of electricity as the cuffs where activated. The incredible pain wore off a few moments later and Ken found himself lying on his front on the floor. _'Blast'_ he cursed at his own weakness; this shouldn't happen to someone like him!

"Stand up scum!" said Bothen that Ken had assumed – correctly it seemed – was the leader. Having no choice, Ken complied. His injured leg wobbled dangerously as it was forced to bare his weight. "Right, lets go." Said the leader, shoving him roughly forward, to Ken's credit, he didn't fall – a quick grab onto the Force saw to that – but he could not help but let out a short hiss of pain. Something the Bothen picked up on instantly.

"What's the matter?" asked the leader, "Does it hurt does it? Well tell that to the guys that today – thanks to you – will never walk again _Jedi_."

"I'm no _Jedi!_" spat Ken, disgusted at the idea of being thought of as one. At that moment, the door at the other end of the room opened and the Senator and his aid walked out of the bedroom beyond. "Is this him?" asked the Senator in a strong core world accent, pointing at Ken.

"Yes sir." Replied one of the commandos.

"Good." Said the Senator nodding slightly, "Bring him here, I wish to question him personally."

"No way." Said the leader, "Far too dangerous."

"You have him bound, and your guns trained on him Captain McCloud." Pointed out the Senator. "He'll be fine." Ken looked from Senator Jodukeh to Captain McCloud with interest, apart from the fact that it was a fascinating battle of wills, it was possible that if the Senator won out…

"Senator, I strongly disagree." Argued McCloud, "This man was trying to kill you, he fought through to floors of your own security guards, and has downed several members of my team; he is an extremely dangerous criminal…"

"And your men are highly trained law enforcers." Relied the Senator with a tiered smile, "Or do you doubt their abilities?" Ken knew the Senator had won. The Captain's pride in his men and himself would lead him to take up the Senator's unvoiced challenge, even against his better judgment. Maybe, just maybe this situation could be salvaged after all.

"There is no point in taking chances." Said Bothen weakly, but then with a sigh he marched Ken forward roughly, "I don't agree with this." He maintained as the rest of the security commandos formed up behind him.

Reaching out through the Force, Ken searched for his lightsaber; he found it clipped on an officer's belt, a few metres away from him. Gently linking a tendril of the Force with it, he gave it a very gentle tug, and felt it move slightly, it was standing by. Reaching out again with the Force he explored the ceiling as he had on the floor far below. So intent he was in his search that he almost missed the senator step up to him and ask, "Now then, what are you doing here?" he was saying.

Ken turned a glare upon the Senator, "Why I'm trying to kill you of course." He said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Devoting half of his mind back onto his search of the ceiling, he waited for the Senators response.

"Yes I _know_ that." Said Jodukeh, "But who sent you? Who is it who wants me dead?"

"Who is it who told you that I was coming?" countered Ken, he allowed himself a grin as the Senators face broke into a look of shock. The other occupants of the room would no doubt think he was mocking the Senator with such an expression, but the truth of the matter was that he'd found what he was looking for. Above him in the ceiling, and about two metres back was a water conduit containing boiling hot water used for everything between making tea or caff, to hot water for aquashowers. Reaching out with a tendril of the Force he grasped the pipe and prepared to pull.

"I believe _I_ am the ones asking the questions here." The Senator was saying meanwhile.

"Maybe so, but _I_ am the one in charge here." Said Ken, pulling with all his might on the pipe he grasped through the Force. "You?" spluttered the Senator "You are…" He was cut off as with the horrible groan of tortured metal and a bang the pipe broke, sending boiling hot water and steam spraying down at the commandos behind him.

Before even the first screams of agony ripped through the room, Ken had pulled his lightsaber to his hand with the tendril of the Force he had kept rapped around it. With a clean sweep he slashed through his bonds and swiped at the Senator, who was barley able to duck it. With the continuation of the swing, pivoting on his good leg, he spun right around and cut through the barrel of Captain McCloud's blaster.

Still spinning, Ken faced the Senator again and sent a blast of Force lightning toward him. With a cry, the Senator's aid leaped in front of him, taking the blast in the chest, sending her flying across the room. With a snarl, Ken turned back just in time to see the Bothen leader tackling him, both of them went down in a flurry of limbs and Ken lightsaber once again went skittering across the floor. Grabbing Ken by the neck, McCloud began to punch every bit of Ken's body he could reach, at least he did until Ken managed to get a kick to his groin in, sending the Bothen reeling in pain. With a blind Force push, the Captain went sailing into the general confusion that had consumed the rest of the room, Ken didn't see where exactly he went and didn't have time to look.

Seven of the Security Commandos had been killed or incapacitated when the water main had broken, and the rest of them had either gone sprawling or had rushed to help their fallen comrades. But they where getting their act back together now as they pummelled Ken with blaster fire, forcing him to roll out of the way. As he came up out of his roll he spotted his lightsaber a few metres away and made a mad dive for it. It fell into his hands as he reached out to it before was forced to roll out of the way of more blaster fire.

By the third volley of fire, Ken was ready, using the Force to prop up his injured leg, he rose to his feet, deflecting the Blaster fire in every direction. One of the commandos fell to the return fire; another was blasted out of an already smashed window when he fired lightning at him. Jumping through a tucked flip, Ken landed next to a third man and sliced through his waist. A couple of blasts got through his defences as he turned to the remaining four, one grazed his arm, and the other put a large hole in his cloak. In both cases the follow-up shots hit their shooters, one in the head and one on the elbow.

Ken launched forward at the already injured rightmost guard who had just had his elbow ruined, plunging his lightsaber through his chest before having to pull it out to deflect a shot from the one remaining man, it took three more shots for Ken to get close enough to have a wild sweep at the last man, severing his arms. With a final decapitating swing, Ken killed him. He surveyed the carnage passively, he didn't care about the guards at all – they were simply obstacles in his path, he did however note that Captain McCloud's body was not with the bodies of his men. Whether he had fled, or whether he had been flung him out the window that had been smashed during the fight, Ken didn't know.

He also observed that the Senator was gone too.

With a quick scan of the suite, Ken established that he was in his bedroom. Not really hurrying himself, Ken walked toward the bedroom door which was located exactly opposite the hall he'd entered through. A single slash with his lightsaber destroyed the door's lock bolt, Allowing the door to slide open automatically. "Senator Jodukeh?" called Ken Mockingly, "I would have thought that you where a bit old for hiding under your bed…" he cut off and whirled his lightsaber up as a terrified Senator leapt to his feet and clipped off a blaster bolt at him. Caught completely unprepared, Ken barley managed to get his lightsaber up in time, and the shot knocked the laser sword from his hand, deactivating as it fell. Out of pure reflex, Ken stuck out his hand and a second later the Senator's weapon landed in his palm.

"Any last words?" he asked, levelling the blaster with its owner's head.

"Yeah. Oei ned'k wok unuo nakx kxaj Jedi jsim!" said the Senator, then he began chanting as if praying "Kxeiwx oei muo xulo tojkheoot mo cavo, mo jfahak nacc khuloc ed adke kxo Force ev cavo udt oei mo tojkhiskeh nacc ro sihjot ad kehmodk ev kxo Fukx Ev Jxutenj veh oloh idkac oei hocawxk kxo sudtoc ev cawxk eh zead kxo Force, kxaj A Owben Jodukeh te toscouho..." he was cut short as Ken fired, blasting a hole through his head.

"Time's up." Said Ken dryly. He didn't particularly care what the politician had said; the Force had told him it wasn't important, all he cared about was finding out who had set him up – and he had the perfect – not quite dead yet – person to ask.

Reaching out through the Force, Ken called his lightsaber back to his hand, and tossed the blaster aside. He stepped back out into the main room of the suite. Lying slumped against the wall to the direct left of the door was the Senator's aid, her strawberry-blond hair hanging limply over her face. The two of them where now the only living beings in the entire apartment. Walking over to her he put his hand on her shoulder and brought her back into consciousness with a pulse of the Force. It was only then that he realized that his hood had slipped off during the fight; probably during his tussle with McCloud. But that didn't matter; he didn't intend to let the young woman live anyway. With a flutter her eyes opened and she looked up at him scrutinisingly, "Owen?" she whispered in confusion.

"I believe the name you should acquaint yourself with is Ken." Replied Ken, horrified to hear that his voice hadn't been anywhere near as harsh as he had meant it. Firming his voice up properly, he asked "Now I'm not in the mood for small talk. Who told you I was coming?"

"I-I d-don't know what you're talking about." Said the woman, resolution beginning to fill her previously confused voice.

"Wrong answer!" snarled Ken igniting his lightsaber, and pointing it at her throat. "I'll ask you again, _who_ told you I was coming?!"

"And I'll tell you again," said the woman, "I don't know what…" Ken reached out and grabbed her by the throat, pushing her against the wall and lifting her so that her feet where barely touching the ground. "You have great courage in the face of death, miss…?

"Ohruddyn Ke…" Gasped the woman.

"…Ohruddyn." Finished Ken, "But I can do a lot worse than kill you, I could make you relive your most sorrowful moments; drown you in tides of your deepest fears; hit you with the worries of your future… So tell me what I wish to know and do _NOT_ lie to me." He continued, accentuating his final point by tightening his grip on her throat, "You will tell me _now_, _who_ told you I was coming?!"

"It w-was…" gasped Ohruddyn as she started to turn blue. "K-krayn's… It w-was K-krayn." Ken's eyes glazed over as an uncontrollable rage overtook him. It couldn't be true; he didn't want it to be right, that meant that he had misread Krayn from the start. He really had believed for all Krayn's scheming that he had wanted the Senator dead, and if he hadn't, not only had Ken been taken along for a ride, but he could forget about collecting his pay check.

"You lie!" he said pushing harder against the woman's neck, but the last push was too much, it along with the extended air deprivation made Ohruddyn go limp into unconsciousness. Letting the woman drop, Ken reached out through the Force and erased the woman's memories of the interrogation. He didn't know why he didn't just kill her, but somehow he couldn't bring himself to do it, maybe it was because she was so much younger than anyone else he had encountered – only eighteen or nineteen standard years old – accepting of course Jinn's Padawan, but then _he_ had attacked him so it had been fair game – or maybe it was because it was because she reminded him of himself, or maybe for some completely different reason; he couldn't be sure why and so, as soon as he finished he turned and left, rage still burning through his veins. A single thought consumed all else as he left the suite's main room.

No one but no one could betray Ken Ibonek and get away with it.

Sending healing energies to his leg, he clipped his lightsaber back onto his belt as he stalked toward the stairs that would get him out of the building, gnashing his teeth in anger, "You will _PAY_ for this Krayn!" he vowed.

* * *

Qui-Gon sat bolt upright in his chair as a fierce anger passed through him before disappearing, this time he _knew_ where the feeling was coming from, the ghost itch, the anger. It could only be coming from one person, except that it should have been impossible. _'I _felt_ the bond brake…'_ he thought in confusion _'There is no way I could have mistaken it.'_ But there was no other conclusion, maybe being in proximity to his presence had sparked what remained of the tattered bond, or maybe because he was focusing on his previous apprentice more than he ever had the past three years, but somehow he was – albeit weakly – feeling Obi-Wan's emotions.

As he came to this conclusion, he became aware that the Navicomputer was trying to win his attention, they where almost ready to drop from lightspeed. Sending a small pulse through the bond to his sleeping apprentice he informed his Padawan it was time to wake up. At that moment, the Navicomputer cheerfully toned that they had arrived at their destination. Pulling back on the hyperspace throttle, Qui-Gon brought them back into realspace. Directly ahead was the day time side of Nar Shaddaa, and behind it, its parent planet Nal Hutta.

"You rang Master?" asked Anakin, sliding into the co-pilot's seat.

"Indeed I did." Replied Qui-Gon warmly, "Welcome to Nar Shaddaa, 'the smugglers moon', 'the vertical city', 'little Coruscant', whichever name you prefer." He looked up at Anakin wryly, "I must say I like the name, 'the Criminal Hive'.

"Home to Krayn, Various Hutts, undercover Jedi, most types of spacers and or mercenaries you could think of _and_, for a limited time only, Ken, aka Obi-Wan Kenobi." Obi-Wan Kenobi, the name was becoming easier to say again with just a small influx of hope. He wondered what part – if any – the rediscovered bond would play in their confrontation with him, and if he could use it to help rediscover Obi-Wan's memories, or whether it would just enrage him.

"So this is where our journey ends." Said Anakin soberly, seeming to be thinking in the same general vein.

"Perhaps." Said Qui-Gon, "Or perhaps this is just where a new one begins…"

* * *

**AN: This chapter finishes with what is essentially the beginning of the end of the book. **

**Ohruddyn (oh-**_**reeth**_**-in)[Welsh pronunciation] is a character who will play a part in the second part of Fallen Future (Probation), if you are in the know as far as Obi-Wan's background goes, you may have already roughly guessed her relation to Obi-Wan. I decided to leave Captain McCloud's death open-ended in case I wanted to bring him back later in the series, all the '****Sor'udeinan' is exactly the same as StarFox adventures' Dinosaur language (The whole concept of Sor'udeina is actually a ripoff/homage to the starfox series, the name of the planet being an anagram of Dinosaur with an extra e.)**

English/basic : Abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz

Dino/Sor'udeidnian: Urstovwxazbcmdefghjkilnpoq

**I hope it was sort of clear what was going on in this chapter, my first draft was an utter disaster area, and so I had to rewrite large amounts of it from scratch, consequently it's still got a little bit of the first draft feeling to it. If it's really bad I'll update it later, but let me know what you think. In the next chapter, Ken goes on a rampage, Qui-Gon and Anakin arrive on Nar Shaddaa and Krayn and Zora prepare for the worst. More chapters coming to your galaxy… Soon!

* * *

  
**


	17. Justice

**STARWARS: Fallen Future**

Part I: Path of Shadows

* * *

**Chapter XVI: Justice**

-"Take cover Krayn, your end is nigh!"

**-Ken Ibonek**

-|-

Rashtah tensed slightly as a figure emerged from the Senatorial apartments, he wouldn't entirely put it past Ibonek to tell on him if the man had been captured. However a second later he realised that the figure _was_ Ibonek and so he let his entire body relax; he _had_ to look completely natural for this to work, if Ibonek was to pick up on any nervousness or tension, even from anticipation, he wouldn't let his guard down properly, making him much harder to kill. Not that Rashtah was particularly worried, he was pretty confident he could more that outmatch some puny human any day of the week, despite what his boss said.

[Are you done yet?] he growled in Shyriiwook. As the cloaked man approached.

"Yes," replied Ibonek in an eerily cool voice, a voice so disturbing in fact, that Rashtah actually took a step back; something that confounded him to no end. His wariness was well founded as Ibonek stepped far closer than was normally advisable to a Wookie and in one swift movement pulled his lasersword of his belt, lifted it up in front of him and activated it. The burning beam of plasma ripped through Rashtah's gut as he stumbled in horror.

Desperately Rashtah brought up his arms to strangle the life out of his attacker, but he found that his arms no longer had any strength. His arms barely brushed Ibonek's cloak as the human pulled his lightsaber free and _he_ fell to his knees.

His killer leaned forward slightly and whispered in his ear, "But of destroying your organization – I've only just begun." A moment later a scarlet blade whipped up and Rashtah's head rolled to the floor.

* * *

Ken clipped his lightsaber back to his belt with distain; "I thought _you_ would be a challenge." he told the headless Wookie corpse. Leaving Krayn's bodyguard where it lay on the pavement – it hardly looked out of place there – he walked purposefully away.

Following back the same path that he and Rashtah had come on, Ken found a speeder parked on the edge of the grimy street. A quick trust of his lightsaber destroyed the locking mechanism and after fiddling with a few of the wires the hotwired vehicle roared to life. Pointing the craft skywards he gunned the engine and the speeder shot into the air. He climbed through the skytraffic and into the air above the buildings; far higher, he suspected, than the law permitted him to go.

He pushed the engines into overdrive and sped off toward Krayn's palace. Rage and anger still consumed him, he may have pushed it away for the Senator's aid, but now it had come back with a vengeance. He was going to make the crime lord _pay_ for setting him up. _'As far as I'm concerned, I will crush him, grind him into tiny pieces, then blast him into oblivion.'_ He thought. No one betrayed or messed with him that would get away with it.

A shrieking siren behind him alerted him to the presence of a police speeder following him. Ken couldn't help it, in spite of the situation, in spite of his rage at Krayn, he laughed. _'You would have thought that on a planet like this the police would be more concerned about something like, oh, say the _murders_. Rather than _me_ speeding.'_ He thought dryly. But if they _did_ think they could nab him, they could forget it.

Pushing the speeder into a steep dive he sped back through the layers of sky traffic, the police speeder doggedly followed. _'Fine then'_ snarled Ken. Weaving into a small ally way, barely wide enough for the speeder he was driving to fit, he increased the throttle. The patrol speeder sped after him, flying sideways to avoid hitting the walls. Ken flipped the speeder back into the traffic, weaving through the oncoming speeders, only the Force saving him from splattering into the other traffic coming at him at three hundred kilometres per hour – it was much like dodging blaster bolts he noted. He also noted that the police speeded stuck on him like glue. Groaning, he flew out of the skylane and back into open space.

Bad idea, the speeder behind him opened fire.

Once more spurring the throttle into overdrive, Ken plunged into the anti-air area around Krayn's palace. Immediately the automatic anti-air cannons opened fire spraying cannon shots everywhere. _'So much for the sneak attack._' Ken cut the engines, letting the speeder drop from the air. The police speeder was too slow and took a blast head-on.

Ken restarted the engines a few metres above the ground, slowly stopping the craft and bringing it to a halt a metre up. He hoped that that would fool the guns into thinking that they had shot him down. When no further shots came his way, he assumed that his ploy must have been successful.

He glided the speeder up along the side of the building up to the landing platform. He flew over the top of the turbo lift that he had travelled in before and landed behind one of the larger pirating vessels. Springing purposefully from the speeder, Ken strode across the landing and into the cavernous entrance hall. A couple of Krayn's thugs where there to meet him. "Ken Ibonek. We have been awaiting your return, Kryan wi…"

He cut off as Ken activated his lightsaber, the scarlet blade casting an eerie light around the room. Both of the guard's eyes widened, they knew what the lasersword was; they knew that they're worst nightmares had come true. "Jedi!" cried the one that hadn't spoken before. A flash a second later removed his head and Ken's next stroke dispatched the other as well.

But unfortunately for Ken. the pair of relief guards for the guards he had slaughtered had just turned in to the hall. Ken was fast, with a series of Force augmented leaps he reached them and cut them down with two strokes, but the damage had been done – one of the men had raised the alarm.

The whole building was filled with the wailing of klaxons and seconds later with sound of running feet. Krayn's security forces – sentient beings and droids alike – streamed into the hall. All of their intent on one purpose, to kill the intruder. But Ken was not the same man he had been when he had entered the Jedi temple. Nor the man who had entered the apartment complex of Senator Jodukeh. That man had been a man simply carrying out a task, a task that he felt extremely happy about filling out in the case of Qui-Gon Jinn, but a simple task none the less. Now a very focused, _personal_ rage filled him, a rage that he would bleed onto _anyone_ who got between him and the object of his anger. Blaster bolts rained sideways in the corridors, but none came close to him. They where deflected by something that resembled a red ray-traced net – his lightsaber.

Ken moved without restraint. The pain from his leg was driven from his mind by the combined power of adrenaline, rage and the Force. He spun and whirled, jumped and ducked and kicked and punched, nothing that came near him escaped the inevitable fate that was destruction.

He fought his way down the corridor and sent out a powerful pulse through the Force behind him, sending the remaining security tumbling like dominos. As he reached the stair well he was forced to turn and deflect blaster fire from some of those whom had been a bit quicker to get back on his feet. Backing through the doorway, he used the Force to wrench the open door closed and then spot welded it with the tip of his lightsaber. He fled up the staircase, taking the steps two at a time and emerging from the top of the stairwell a few seconds later.

Krayn's palace was a fortress. It wasn't designed to be simple to navigate through, _or_ to get around. All of the corridors where built to look the same and there was no staircase that went up more than two floors, often the next one would be half the way across the floor. Ken suspected that this was for the dual purpose of keeping the slaves in; and attackers out. But Ken had studied his route carefully when Zora had led him along it before; he knew the exact path that would take him to the traitor, Krayn. That however didn't mean it would be short, or easy; when he arrived on the floor above his starting point, he found that the corridor was filled with security.

They where waiting for him.

In a blaze of red he wove through the firestorm the corridor had become, blaster bolts appeared to just bounce off him as he waded forward, his blade singing.

Ahead of him heavy blast doors closed, blocking his way forward and trapping him in with his attackers, at the same time, two automatic blaster turrets unfolded from opposite walls and unleashed a powerful volley of energy at him. Ken threw himself at the ground in a slide kick, sliding under a spindly limbed being, and slicing through it with his lightsaber. As the blaster fire tracked after him he launched himself into a snap flip, and sunk his lightsaber into one of the turrets, a second later, the other met the same fate. He wove back amongst his opponents, spinning his lightsaber like a multi-planed buzz saw. He jumped over a group of closely clustered security bots, showering them with Force lightning. they exploded in a mess of heat and shrapnel. Ken simply landed in a neat role and came out of it to find that he had no enemies left in the corridor.

He deactivated his lightsaber with a grim smile.

Turning his attention toward the blast door he reached out into the Force and channelled all his hate at Krayn, and his frustration at the blast door for stopping him from reaching him, the thermal pressed duranium didn't stand a chance against such an onslaught. It was simply ripped apart and blown down the hall.

Breathing heavily from the exertion, Ken pulled his lightsaber back off his belt and relit it. He jogged off down towards the end of the corridor and turned left; he stopped dead. The hall ahead was riddled with small holes, all of them a regular size of about three or so centimetres across. Reaching out through the Force he called a respectable sized piece of debris to his hand and tossed it down the corridor. At once an immense roar rocked the building as blaster bolts issued forth from every hole, the flashes of red arched from the hole on one side to splat against the wall or floor or roof of the corridor on the other. At last, ten seconds after it started, the shooting subsided. Ken took a couple of steps back. _'Somehow, I get the feeling that that's not a very good way to go.'_ He mused dryly.

He doubled back to the original corridor and slunk down a maintenance shaft which left in the opposite direction from the booby trapped corridor. No matter what Krayn put in his way, he would reach him. And then he'd kill him.

* * *

"What's going on here?"

"The whole base floor!"

"Would you lot just shut up and think of a way to kill him off?!"

Siri/Zora walked into Krayn's office and into a confusion of noise and commotion. About ten different beings where littered around the room and all of them where trying to talk at once. "SILENCE!" roared Kryan over the babble. "All of you besides Zora return to your stations now!" the crowds muttered around and began to shuffle out of the room. Far too slowly. Feeling sick with herself – a feeling which she had felt all too often in her tenure here – Siri pulled out her blaster and shot one the beings in the head, "He means ­­_immediately_!" she shouted at the remaining beings. That got them moving all right, they couldn't run fast enough as they tripped over themselves in their haste to pile out of the room.

"You've got to stop doing that, Zora." Growled Krayn sinking into his chair, no real conviction behind his words, "That's the third member of staff you've shot in the last two months. It's getting rather expensive to replace them."

"My apologies Captain." Said Siri/Zora, wishing that she could just finnish up and go to the authorities on him. "What's going on?"

"Ibonek." Snarled Krayn, pointing at a screen on the wall – one which was usually reserved for video conferencing. The image showed a grainy security tape of a figure flailing through droves of security personal, a red bar of light whirling backwards and forwards, similar flashes of red bounced off the red blade and into other guards and wall fixtures. Even the turrets seemed to have no effect. The pulsing white noise of blaster fire was interrupted by a hysterical shout, "Oh Krayn, justice is coming!!!" followed by a crazed laugh seconds before a blaster bolt hit the camera, terminating the connection.

Siri paled. "What do you think he means by justice?" she asked. Though she had a pretty good idea, the Senator's guard had failed. Worse, they'd told Ibonek about who had warned them, she only hoped that Krayn didn't know that. To her immense relief he simply said, "I imagine it's quite simple, Rashtah failed, so now he's going after the only person who could have ordered him to kill him. Me."

Siri/Zora groaned, "You can't kill a Jedi with a sneak attack, it doesn't work." She said, "You have to…"

"Quiet!" snapped Krayn, "As far as I am aware you have never killed a Jedi, I have. Therefore my opinion is the one we'll be using. You will organize my personal shuttle for take off, and then you will tell the core guard to fetch at least two hundred of the slaves."

"What do you have in mind?" asked Siri/Zora, fighting back a gulp. "With the slaves I mean?"

"I believe the term is 'human shields'" Krayn smirked. Outwardly Siri's expression didn't change, on the inside she seethed. _'How dare he?'_ It was only two and a half years of practice as Zora that stopped her from hitting him on the nose. "I don't think that will work." She said slowly, trying to hide the contempt she felt for the slave trader. "I'm not sure that this is a normal Je…"

Krayn cut her off. "The weakness of _all_ Jedi is their compassion." He assured her, "Put them in a position where they have to choose between themselves and _innocent_ lives and you will defeat them every time. Now are you going to do it," he pulled out a blaster "Or do _I_ have to?"

"Yes sir, sorry sir." Said Siri/Zora, wanting nothing more than whack him over the head with a blunt instrument. She pulled out her comlink and patched it through to central command. "Blane! This is Zora, I'm with Krayn now, he want's his shuttle prepared for immediate take off." She hesitated fractionally before saying "And then you need to bring two-hundred slaves up here to the office lobby, with at _least_ seventy-five guards, then you'd better lock down the entire building; close all the Blast doors, and redirect power from every bit of non-essential equipment and communications."

"Yes ma'am" replied the voice at the other end. "I've put in the procedures, the Captain's ship will be ready in about five…" he was cut off as there was a scuffle at the other end ended by a very final buzz of a lightsaber cutting through something. For several seconds there was silence except for a low humming; then a new voice spoke through the Comlink. A voice that was so close to her Obi-Wan's it was painful, but she knew that this person was merely an evil shadow of who Obi-Wan Kenobi had been… Ken Ibonek. "Don't bother about your transport Krayn." The voice said. Mere seconds later the building rocked as the sound of an explosion tore through it.

"What happened?" roared Krayn leaping to his feet "What's going on?"

Siri/Zora didn't answer immediately; instead she switched her comlink over to the hanger's frequency, whom she hadn't contacted immediately as central command had the equipment to organize both the ship and the slaves. She was met with static, confirming her fears. "We just lost contact with your personal landing platform." She said, her voice so calmly quiet that she almost didn't recognise it. "It's a good bet that Ibonek's just gone after you're only viable means of escape."

Krayn sat down heavily. "Make sure those slaves get here." He said quietly. "NOW!" he shrieked.

Siri commed directly to the floor manager of the slave levels and repeated the instructions. "What do you plan to do if Ibonek gets here before the slaves do?" she asked as she hang up and pocketed her comlink.

Close the blast doors and the fusion doors." Replied Krayn. "It will make rather a mess of my front façade, but I'm sure it's all replaceable."

Siri/Zora didn't comment, but she wasn't so sure about Krayn's defences keeping out a dark Jedi the calibre of Ibonek. What ever else she might think, she had to admire the man's skills. He was as strong in terms of raw power as some masters, even if he didn't have the control of even a senior Padawan, and he was obviously, as almost two-hundred people on Nar Shaddaa could attest to, no slouch with the lightsaber. She also doubted the slaves would do much more than slow him down. For the first time since meeting Ibonek she realised the serious possibility that she could die by his blade. Her hand drifted towards the secret pocket in her jacket where she had hidden her lightsaber when the intruder alarm had first sounded almost an hour ago. While she was sure that she could beat Ibonek in a duel – tired as he would be after so much non-stop fighting – she hoped she didn't have to; such an action would be disastrous for her mission.

She looked up as two-hundred slaves where marched into the large hall in front of Krayn's office. They where guarded by at least a hundred beings, armed with blasters, whips and electro-jabbers. "We're here." Called the leader as Siri/Zora walked out the front. "What do you want us to do?"

"Form the slaves into ranks." Ordered Siri/Zora, "Biggest closest to Krayn's office, smallest closest to the blast door at the other end of the hall."

"What are we supposed to do?" yelled one of the slaves. He was immediately brought to his knees by an electro-jab to the back of the neck. "Show some respect." Shouted the guard that had hit him. Siri, hating herself more with every moment that passed, walked forward to the man who had called out. A Bothen.

"You're all going to have a very important job." She told him loud enough for the whole room to hear, "There is a madman on the loose, here in the building, and you're going to be protecting our noble Captain's life…" she drew a line across her throat, "…by losing your own." She almost winced at the murmur of utter despair that ran through the slaves. They had now lost all hope. "When he arrives, Tell him to disarm, and if he doesn't… start killing the spares one by one." She informed the guards.

She turned and walked back into Krayn's office, barely able to stop herself from crying at the despairing emotions she sensed behind her. "Good." Said Krayn, "That should stop him. But now, close the doors, just in case."

Siri/Zora nodded and reached out tentatively to the door controls, once the doors where closed, it would be no mean feat to open them again. Swallowing, she entered a short sequence. The thick transparisteel doors slid closed. Followed a second later by a heavy durasteel 'fusion' door which fell into place with an echoing thud. Immediately sparks flew from every crack around the door as it welded itself in place. A few seconds later a final bang signalled that the metre thick blast door had sild closed between the two other doors.

"And that." Said Krayn with satisfaction, "Will hold anything."

* * *

Ken pulled his lightsaber free from the control consol with a satisfied grunt. After collecting a map of the building, destroying Krayn's ship with the privet hanger's own guns – he'd loved the thought of what Krayn would do when he found that out – and killing the annoying worker who was on duty – Blane the card said his name was – He had finally destroyed the Central Control System; effectively locking down the whole building and making it virtually impossible for anyone without a lightsaber or a fusion cutter to get around properly.

There would be no reinforcements getting around now.

With his blade still lit he approached the inside of the door of the central control room which had shut itself during the lockdown. He plunged his blade through it and slowly dragged the blade around in a rough circle. The plug fell out with a resounding clang. He stepped back through hole and into the body strewn corridor beyond, once again heading for Krayn's office.

Ken licked his lips. He could feel the fear rising with every second that went past without him showing up. Fear of him, fear of the unknown. For some reason he found that that exhilarated him.

Walking slowly – silently – through the corridors, he reached another door. He sliced his lightsaber through the door in a quick X-shape before kicking as hard as he could in the centre of the X. the door peeled back like it had been opened by a can opener and the kick carried Ken through the hole and into a crouch on the other side. In a flash he was back on his feet, weaving his lightsaber through a defensive pattern, preventing any of the enemy's fire from getting through.

He fought his way through the crowd, forcing himself to move his blade faster and faster. He was getting tired now, the sweat was pouring off him, but he was as determined as ever to reach Krayn. It was that _determination_ that flung him into a leap to evade blaster fire. It was _that_ determination that enabled him to keep his touch on the Force, even when exhaustion was doing it's best to make him let go.

He destroyed the last turret and landed in a crouch, his lightsaber poised backwards behind him. After several minutes of panting Ken finally rose to his feet, shakily. He walked forward slowly and examined the blast door which divided the corridor in half. He knew from memory that at the end of this corridor was Krayn's office. And he knew from the Force that the remainder of the corridor behind the blast door was filled with hundreds of terrified presences. Stepping back from the door again and gathered Force energy into an energy sphere, hurling it at the door.

It crumpled like paper.

The corridor beyond was filled with at least three-hundred beings. And from the state of their clothes, at least two thirds of them where slaves. Ken rolled his eyes – If Krayn thought that he'd have scruples about killing the slaves, he was sorely mistaken. A slave's life wasn't worth living anyway.

With a final gasp of air, he leaped into the midst of the slaves, and chaos ensued.

* * *

Qui-Gon watched with pride as Anakin guided their ship through the gungy towers of Nar Shaddaa. He really was a talented pilot. As they got closer to the co-ordinates that the council had given them, Anakin commented, "This place really _is_ like Cosuscant's ugly twin."

"Like I said, it _is_ known as little Coruscant." Replied Qui-Gon lightly, then more seriously, "Are you sure you're feeling alright?" he asked "Your injuries?"

"I'm fine Master." Answered Anakin.

Their ship rounded a large building and directly before them lay Krayn's fortress. It was hard to miss, there where hectares of low buildings and warehouses, and from the vary centre rose a huge building, impossible landing platforms and passages arched out over the surrounds, giving the bizarre building the appearance of an ancient castle. "Wow." Said Anakin. "Could you imagine _storming_ that?"

"And just by a remarkable coincidence, that's just what we're planning to do." commented Qui-Gon wryly.

"Do you really think that he'll still be here?" asked Anakin doubtfully

"Oh yes." Nodded Qui-Gon, "Listen to the Force, Anakin. It's quite clearly prompting us there."

"I don't sense anything." Replied Anakin, lowering his head slightly.

"Give it a bit of time," smiled Qui-Gon "And you will."

"Yes Master." Replied Anakin, more confidently, "Which platform Master?" he asked as they drifted closer to the massive building before them, "There's a lot of them."

"Just the main one will do." Replied Qui-Gon. "We don't wan to attract _too_ much attention." With accomplished ease, Anakin manoeuvred their shuttle down onto the main landing platform, looking rather out of place with the rest of the pirating ships on the starship pad.

The two Jedi stepped down and out of the shuttle and walked over to the entrance of the building. As they stepped over the threshold they found themselves face to face with a Weequay, a Sullustan and a Gamorrean, all with several lightsaber wounds to their chests.

"Yes." Said Qui-Gon heavily. "He's defiantly here."

* * *

Siri stood in Krayn's office gripping the back of a chair, her knuckles turning white and sweat beading along her brow despite herself. It had been half an hour since the slaves had been lined up in the hall, half an hour since the doors to Krayn's office had been closed. Since then the Central Control had been shut down, reducing the building to emergency lighting and cutting her and Krayn's view of the outside world down to an audio pickup from the corridor outside. Over the speaker they could hear whispered conversations and subtle movements of more than three-hundred beings that had been crammed in there.

Siri had never been noted for her patience, and the desperate waiting was killing her.

Then, out of the blue, a loud bang roared across the sound system, a second later the repeating ping of blaster fire started, a waving lightsaber was added to the mix as well as the sound of the energy sword cutting through flesh and the agonized screams that followed. Siri winced as her imagination made up for her lack of sight, her mind's eye supplied visions of a dark robed figure wielding a bright red blade; cutting through slaves and their guards alike, not pausing for even a second. She had known that the slaves wouldn't work, but even she was not prepared for the utter ruthlessness of the dark Jedi's attack.

The audio suddenly cut out with a burst of static, destroying their only knowledge of the outside world. But as bad as the audio track had been, Siri soon found that the silence was even worse. For what seemed like hours she and Krayn waited… and waited… and waited, until she was sure that she was going to go insane. She checked her chrono again; even though she was sure that time had been fixed to go particularly slow that morning. It had barely even been five minutes since the sound had cut out.

Siri looked up in alarm at a distant sounding thud – like someone shutting a door far away. She held her breath; it was impossible to tell what was going on, the fusion door had melted right around the edge, allowing nothing; neither the faintest breath of air, nor the slightest amount of light to slip through. She and Krayn could only stare at the door expectantly.

She moved so that she stood to the side of the door, out of direct sight, and drew her blaster. Abruptly a glowing red X appeared in the door, boiling metal dripping to the floor. The triangular pieces around the X peeled inwards, and a black robed man walked in. He reached out with his left hand and Krayn's blaster went flying into his palm. With his right hand he stretched out towards Siri. Even as she brought her blaster up to bare, ice white lightning shot from the Dark Jedi's fingers and hit her in the unprotected chest.

With incredible force she was thrown against the wall behind her, smacking her head against the painted durasteel. As she slid down the wall, her vision slowly closing, she saw the man lower his hood. he was saying something to Krayn, but Siri didn't hear what it was. All she could see was the face of a person that had once meant more to her than anyone else in the galaxy.

The face of Obi-Wan Kenobi was the last thing she saw before the black numbness of unconsciousness took her.

* * *

**AN: "Siri's down… And Qui-Gon and Anakin will be too late… there is no escape, my young readers, the Krayn will die… as will your friends." The emperor-efied me. Next chapter, the long awaited confrontation with Krayn, and Qui-Gon and Anakin are only a few minutes behind. The chase is coming to a close, but is it too late for Obi-Wan? He could still fall to the dark Side you know, so you'd better be good and review (Pretty please with ice cream and a cherry on top! I'm trying to get 100 reviews before the story ends). More of The Path of Shadows coming to your galaxy… soon.**


	18. Interrorgation

**STARWARS: Fallen Future**

Part I: Path of Shadows

* * *

**Chapter XVII: Interrogation**

_-"Welcome, to the last day of the rest of our lives!"_**-Ken Ibonek**

_**

* * *

Warning! This chapter contains graphic scenes of torture and death; if you are upset or offended by such descriptions DO NOT read any further.

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**_

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"Hello again, Krayn!" Said Ken in a falsely cheerful voice, "Bet you didn't expect to see me again so soon."

"What is the meaning of this!?" roared Krayn in outrage. A pitiful attempt to intimidate him.

"The _meaning_ is up for _you_ to tell _me_." Replied Ken in a neutral voice. "The _reason_ is betrayal." Ken removed his hood from his head. "You betrayed me… and I don't like betrayal." He whispered conspiratorially.

"Well, by a remarkable coincidence, neither do I." replied Krayn, right before he flicked a switch on his desk. It was a flicker of warning from the Force that saved Ken; he leaped high in the air a millisecond before the floor he was standing on away. He grabbed a light fitting on the ceiling and hung there over the gaping hole below him. But the endless fighting of the last few hours had sapped his strength; he could feel his fingers beginning to lose their grip.

In a desperate attempt to free himself of his precarious situation, he grabbed his lightsaber off his belt, ignited it and tossed a Krayn's desk. His aim was true, and the red blade stuck the control panel on the desk in a shower of sparks. The trap door swung closed and Ken let go.

"Nice try." He said as he landed, "But not good enough." He gave a cruel smile, "And _now!..._" he slammed the slave trader over the back of his chair into the wall with the Force and held him there. "…Now you will die a very painful death unless you tell me… Why?"

"Too bad," ground out Krayn, "I don't divul-GE…" he ended in a gasp as Ken lost patience and blasted the slave trader with a fork of searing Force lightning. Krayn writhed in agony as the lightning arched across his body, but Ken didn't allow him to pass out, he kept the power barely low enough to avoid that, but it still of course, was more than enough to cause excruciating pain.

"I. Know. You. Where. Hired. To. kill me." Screamed Ken, with deliberate slowness, "There. Is. No. Other. Reason. To. Want. Me dead! Now… _who hired you!_" he intensified the lightning briefly before cutting off the flow – giving Krayn a chance to talk.

"Go… to hell…" panted Krayn, his chest heaving from the convulsions the lightning had caused. Further incensed, Ken shot more lighting at him. Once again Krayn's screams of pain split the air.

"You ­_will_ tell me! Who hired you?!" roared Ken, unleashing his full fury, the slave trader writhed against the wall where he was been held by the force of the lightning, his feet kicking almost a metre from the ground.

"All… Alright!" Gasped Krayn over the loud crackling of the lightning. Ken gave him a final particularly vicious blast before cutting it off. The slave trader slumped unceremoniously to the ground. "Well?" Ken demanded, looking at the now pathetic creature that was Krayn as he tried to regain his breath.

"It… it was the guy… guy who hired _you_." Croaked Krayn, gasping for breath. "What… what was 'is name…?" he struggled onto his hands and knees, looking up darkly at Ken's face. Ken suddenly had the incredible feeling that he didn't want to hear the answer to his question, Krayn spoke again, his single word condemning both himself and Ken, "… Sidious."

Ken felt like the building had fallen out from underneath him.

At the mention of that single name, almost three years of life became a lie. Ken became wrong, Jango became right, the whole galaxy must surly have been turned upside down. _'He _will_ betray you, you do know that…' '…I'm not sure he has you best interests at heart…' '…I don't trust Sidious…' '…All I do is tell you what Sidious tells me to tell you. As far as I know he's made your whole life's history up…'_ ghosts seemed to whisper the fragments of conversations he'd had with Jango, he had been telling the truth after all.

But no sooner had he come to that conclusion, than denial set in.

"You're lying!" he shouted, advancing on Krayn with his hands held out in front of him. It wasn't true; Sidious wouldn't do that. But the Force assured him otherwise. It spoke to him, urging him to believe the T'surr. To believe the truth…

"You're lying!" he shouted again, desperately. He was getting out of control, all of his confusion, hate, inner conflict and desperation was reaching boiling point, with a loud scream of denial his emotions manifested themselves in a powerful and uncontrollable blast of lightning. Over the crackling of the lightning and the screaming of Krayn, he could barely hear himself – or was it someone else – screaming "Noooooooo!"

Krayn began sizzling as the white hot lightning danced across him, his skin appeared to melt and change; the screaming rose to its crescendo, a single, awful, drawn-out cry. Then abruptly, it simply stopped. The crackling of the lightning began to subside too, as Ken began to wonder at the change. He stopped the ruthless assault and looked carefully at the slumped form of Krayn. Even from three metres away, Ken could see well enough what had happened.

Krayn was dead.

Ken looked away, the sight was awful. Krayn's body was red and weeping, angry blisters where dotted all across his exposed skin, his clothes where charred and smoking. He looked at his own hands in horror, was _this,_ what he was becoming? Sidious had told him that the lightning would have no ill effects, but he seemed to have forgotten to mention the emotional impact of what it did.

Ken wasn't so sure, he wasn't sure that this was who he wanted to be.

Suddenly, as he had never felt in his remembered life. Suddenly he felt like a child. ­_'You will find eventually that I'm right Ken. Sidious doesn't care diddaly-squat about you other than what he can extract from you, he doesn't have you best wishes at heart, and one day, when you know that, remember... I'll help you…'_ Jango's words echoed back to him. Something in him just broke, he wanted the person who had been his – almost – constant companion for years.

He wanted Jango.

* * *

Anakin ran as fast as he could to keep up with his Master who was striding away at a steady jog. "Master?" he called, trying to break up the pace. "Why didn't you look for Obi-Wan after you killed the Sith."

"We did." Answered his master in a strained voice; he didn't slow down though. "But we never found him, it was assumed that he and the Sith must have been consumed by the reactor waste."

"Oh." Panted Anakin, the two of them had ran from the bottom of the Building, his Master had never even slowed down. Everywhere they went, they where stumbling over bodies, amputated limbs or the occasional head which had parted company with its body. Blaster and lightsaber burns scarred the walls and floor – All of it was a reminder that they where pursuing a man who was little more than a killing machine. _'Who used to be Qui-Gon's friend.'_ Anakin reminded himself.

His chest was beginning to ache, the lightsaber wound had been aggravated by the running and currently felt like it was on fire. But he didn't tell Qui-Gon – his Master seemed so intent on finding his former Padawan. And Anakin would _not_ prevent him from doing something that he really wanted; even if there _was_ a small but finite possibility that he himself could dreadfully inconvenienced by it – he cared for his Master too much to do that. _'Besides.'_ He reasoned _'If we catch him now we remove a major threat from the galaxy – and he currently _is_ a threat, whatever my master might think.'_

He followed Qui-Gon through yet another lightsabered door, and stopped dead in shock. In almost every corridor up until then, there had been bodies that had littered the floors, but nothing could have prepared him for the sight that now greeted his eyes. The corridor was about five metres wide, thirty metres long and absolutely _covered_ in bodies. Young, old, it made no difference. Even Qui-Gon stopped stock still at the slaughter. Anakin approached one of the dead, a fat Telfyn*. He was waring a simple cream garb and he had stun-cuffs on his wrists. "He was a slave." Said Anakin, feeling sick, "No weapon or anything – he never stood a chance."

"We can only hope," said his Master, his face ashen as he also crouched down beside the slave. "That Obi-Wan _can_ be reached." He seemed to have finally realized just what they would be facing if they failed here. He gazed around sadly before slowly rising and looking at the end of the corridor. "Come Anakin, at least we can be thankful these people died quickly and weren't forced to die as a result of their overwork as slaves."

"Yes Master." Nodded Anakin numbly. He followed his Master, picking his way through the body infested corridor, trying his hardest not to step on any of the bodies or their amputated limbs as he walked. After what seemed like hours, they reached the other end of the corridor where stood a vast door; or rather where the door _had_ stood. A fine pair of transparisteel doors stood closed, a large hole cut into it, a panel of the wall next to them had been stripped off, and the wires behind it fused together so that the blast doors behind the transparisteel were locked open.

And behind that was another door, about ten centimetres think, the edges of this door seemed to have been welded into place. A large square, formed by an X cut into the door was the breach in this final door.

Qui-Gon pulled his lightsaber off his belt and ignited it, indicating that Anakin should do the same. Anakin eyed his master's green blade cautiously and nearly backed out; once again, pains seemed to stab at him through his middle. Taking a deep breath, he finally allowed himself to take his own lightsaber off his belt and activated it. As soon as his own green blade sprang to life he felt much better about the weapon again. The quiet pulsing hum of the laser-sword seemed to lessen the dangers of the blade. The promised power of the white glowing core reminded him that _this_ time he _would_ be able to defend himself.

"Are you okay Ani?" asked Qui-Gon, looking worriedly at his apprentice, "Are you ready?"

Anakin favoured him with a slight smile. He nodded, tightening his grip on his lightsaber. "Lets go." He whispered quietly but resolutely. Qui-Gon nodded back and one after another – master followed by apprentice – they charged through the totalled doors and into the space beyond with lightsabers at the ready.

The room was completely devoid of movement.

A huge blocky durasteel desk sat in the middle of the rectangular room and behind that lay a huddled mess of blue flesh and grey charred clothes. Qui-Gon quickly crossed the room, stepping around the desk and knelt by the figure.

"It's Krayn." Said the master, "He's dead."

* * *

Qui-Gon examined the pitiful pile of flesh that had once been the most feared trader in the galaxy with a deep sense of foreboding. If a dark Obi-Wan could do this to a person guarded by walls and hundreds of security agents, what could the Sith master – who had so far escaped all but the rumour of existence to the entire Jedi order – do? More immediately, what could _Obi-Wan_ do if left unchecked?"

He turned back to his apprentice, expecting the boy to be looking distastefully at the dead Krayn; Anakin frequently espoused the view that slave traders where the lowest of the low – unsurprising given his slave origins – but rather embarrassing for Qui-Gon in the company of other Jedi. But his young protégé wasn't even looking at the slave lord. Instead he was crouching over a being sprawled against the wall, two fingers to her neck. "She's still alive Master." He called.

Qui-Gon walked over to Anakin; the being in question was a female human, mid-twenties with red-stained hair. Dressed in a form fitting jumpsuit and a flight jacket the woman positively glowed in the Force, Qui-Gon had been on enough missions with her and her master to recognize who she was…

Siri Tachi.

"Well done Ani." Murmured Qui-Gon as he too knelt down beside her. He placed a palm on the young Jedi's brow and quickly assessed her condition through the Force; she showed signs of mild electrical burns and a bump on the back of the head, but nothing too serious: she was just unconscious. A quick pulse through the Force put her back on the track of awakening.

"What's wrong with her?" asked Anakin in concern.

Qui-Gon smiled to himself. Anakin was such a compassionate young boy, particularly when it came to other Jedi. And he had been very impressed when Qui-Gon had filled him in about Siri's mission on Nar Shaddaa "Not too much." He said warmly, "She looks like she's been hit with a power full tazer or stunner or something, but she'll be fine once she wakes up."

As if on cue, with a groan Siri's eyes fluttered open, "Wha- Master Qui-Gon?" she started in surprise, "What are _you_ doing here?"

"You called?" asked Anakin dryly and with a bow. "We're here for your dark Jedi."

Siri grabbed Qui-Gon's arm, "It was Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon." She babbled urgently, "I know it sounds crazy, I know that he's dead, and I know it was him. I…"

"Relax," said Qui-Gon soothingly with a silencing glance at Anakin, "Don't overstrain yourself, you've just been through a great shock…" he winced as he saw Siri about to explode _'Okay, bad choice of words.'_

"I don't have a concussion! I _know_ it was him!" screeched Siri.

"Calm down." Ordered Qui-Gon before Siri could give herself an aneurism. Then more calmly he said "We knew it was Obi-Wan before we even left the temple."

"I'm not…" Siri started, but then realization lit her eyes. "You did… Oh…" she said, far more subdued. "Dare I ask how?"

Qui-Gon cast his mind around, trying to think of a way to break the news gently. Anakin, getting impatient, just bluntly – if only quietly – said "He attacked the Jedi Temple."

Siri shuddered, "Why?" she asked "Why is this happening? I thought he was dead… and now… I don't know… how could he have fallen… so far?"

"Did you hear the story of what happened on Naboo?" asked Qui-Gon diplomatically.

"I might have been upset then Qui-Gon, but I _did_ listen." Said Siri, "The Sith kicked him off the ledge, and that raises the question of how he's not dead…"

"Well questions aside, we think he sustained severe amnesia from the fall." Said Qui-Gon to the lost looking young woman. "Amnesia that still affects him now; it seems to be the only thing that could explain the otherwise bizarre behaviour that he has expressed since he re-emerged."

"Master." Said Anakin urgently, "We need to go before he gets further away."

"You're right, sorry Padawan." He stood up, trying to work out how he was going to track his wayward former apprentice now. "Do you have your lightsaber, Siri?" he asked

"Yes." Replied Siri, "I brought it down with me when Krayn issued red alert, just in case. Speaking of Krayn, where is he?"

"He's dead." Replied Qui-Gon soberly, "Your mission here is finished."

"Well, I shan't weep." Said Siri "It was becoming a daily chore for me not to kill him myself." Whether Siri was been literal, or she was making an ill-guided attempt to inject humour into the situation, Qui-Gon didn't know. Instead he chose to ignore the comment and just asked her, "Where is the nearest public space port from here?"

"West of here." She answered. "Just a few klicks away." She pulled herself to her feet, and looked over at Kryan. "What the blazes happened to him?" she gaped.

"He's been electrocuted." Said Qui-Gon. "You showed similar symptoms – though to a lesser extent obviously."

"Force lightning." Remarked Siri shakily.

"I was rather afraid of that." Said Qui-Gon, he had hoped that it hadn't been the case, Force lightning was an advanced dark Side technic after all.

"I was totally unprepared; it knocked me out almost immediately." Siri commented, she looked over the charred heap of blue flesh, "I'm not sorry he's dead. But I do feel a bit sorry about the way he went; it can't have been pleasant."

"I wouldn't feel sorry for him even if he had been slowly lowered into lava." Said Anakin fiercely. "Slave traders like him are all the same, I hate them all, but even so, Krayn was the worst."

"Padawan." Admonished Qui-Gon sternly. He didn't at all like what his Padawan had said there, he resolved to have a good long chat with him about it after all of the current mess was cleared up

"Sorry Master." Said Anakin looking at the floor.

"Hate is a very strong word, especially for a Jedi." Spoke Siri, "If there was just the one thing I learned on this mission, it was that."

"But you've never heard the stories that they tell about him on Tatooine." Protested Anakin sharply.

"I have been forced to accompany Krayn and his team on several such raids, I should think I have a pretty good idea what those stories contain." Returned Siri with a screwed up expression on her face which looked suspiciously like a grimace. As if she was being forced to relieve the things she'd seen – things she'd _done_ – on her missions with Krayn, "What ever stories you've heard about what goes on… believe me, it's worse."

Anakin ducked his head in shame and mumbled a quiet apology.

During the exchange, Qui-Gon had mealy pushed his hands up opposite sleeves and said nothing, after all, not all argument was a bad thing. Sometimes assuming that you knew more than somebody else on a subject was dangerous. It was a lesson which he hoped Anakin had learned in this exchange. One thing that Qui-Gon had noticed about his apprentice was that he _did_ get a bit over-self-confident – verging on arrogant – And sometimes he found that he needed to bring the boy down a peg or two.

Remembering where they where, Qui-Gon looked at his two companions, "We need to go." He reminded them urgently. Both of the younger Jedi nodded, "Yes." Agreed Siri, "I'll show you the quickest way to the spaceport."

The tree different generations of Jedi ran through the corridors of Krayn's fortress, once a busy, noisy – rowdy even – space. Now a mass grave for the dead of the inhabitants of Krayn's organization. "What about the other slaves?" asked Anakin suddenly.

"We can't do anything about them now," Said Qui-Gon without braking pace "We'll see to them before we leave the planet. Or after we get Obi-Wan, whichever happens sooner." Anakin nodded and kept running.

Red blood stained the walls of the corridors they ran through; besides them, nothing moved; nothing breathed, and there wasn't the faintest sign of moving air. All was silent except the sound of the three Jedi's running feet, and a low dull roar. As they exited the building onto the main landing platform, the roar's presence became clear.

It had started to rain

* * *

***Telfens are a species invented by me who are always what would be considered fat. Even in the low food environments of slavery.

* * *

  
**

**AN: I have to say that that was rather a gruesome chapter; I recommend you don't spend too much time trying to picture an electrified Krayn – it's rather horrible. But I thought the extent of Obi-Wan's violence had to be illustrated. More of The Path of Shadows coming to your galaxy… soon.**


	19. Rain

**STARWARS: Fallen Future**

Part I: The Path of Shadows

* * *

**Chapter XVIII:Rain**

_-"Ken seems _broken_ by his encounter with Krayn. It's funny sometimes, how revenge works."—__**Jango Fett**_

-|-

Ken ran through the pouring rain at a sprint. His longish hair was plastered down on his forehead – nearly into his eyes, it didn't bother him though. The fact that his hood was down and anybody he passed could see his face didn't bother him now either, such things seemed like an amusement, like a game, compared to the worries he held now.

It was as if he had woken up from a dream. That suddenly everything was real again; and things where now much clearer than they had been, he had been lulled by Sidious into going against what he had known had been right, but after all, what would some three-year-old-twenty-eight-year-old know about what was right or wrong? But now that he knew that Sidious had turned on him, maybe some of those things he took for granted about life where lies to.

He ran through the spaceport – getting temporary relief from the rain – pushing past beings and droids alike, and barging through the busy lines. He had contacted Jango as he left Krayn's palace and arranged to meet him at the slave 1. The bounty hunter hadn't seemed particularly surprised about the call, and if Ken knew him as well he thought he did, he'd probably worked out everything. He passed the same security guard from yesterday who seemed to be having a very good day, he grinned stupidly at Ken as he charged passed and walked to the entrance of the Slave 1's docking bay.

Here he hesitated, unlike the last time he had stood at this door; he wasn't just barging through it to face an extremely annoyingly persistent caretaker. _This_ time he was facing a friend who had information that he almost certainly didn't want to hear. Steeling himself for the confrontation, Ken stepped through the door and back out into the rain. The rain lashed across the circular shaped landing platform which was suspended a couple of hundred metres above the ground below, the wind whistled through the storage crates and fuelling equipment, as well as the Firespray that sat in the very centre of the pad. It was up to this ship he stepped as lightning flashed in the distance, followed seconds later by an ominous rumble of thunder.

The wind and rain whipped at his saturated cloak as he ran up and pounded the ship's access hatch, it opened immediately to reveal Jango, in full armour except his helmet. Jango motioned him in but Ken shook his head and stepped back from the door, "I dare not." He shouted over the driving rain, "You may have to make a quick take-off, and that would be impeded if I have to get off first."

"You do realise." Remarked Jango dryly in an equally loud voice, "That if you keep killing all of your employers, you're gunna run out of them before long."

"It's nice to see you too." Called back Ken, "The news of a slave trader's death travels that quickly does it?" he added in disgust.

"He did effectively run the planet." Pointed out Jango.

"He deserved to die. He betrayed me, he tried to have me killed _and_…" he lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper; barely heard over the storm. "…He said that it was _Sidious_ that ordered him to kill me." His voice was laced with expectation; he didn't want to have to ask Jango directly, it would just take too much out of him.

Jango jerked his head out into the storm and walked down the ramp past Ken, putting his helmet on, Ken hurried to catch up with him. Jango paused near one of the large storage crates, "He told me to kill you if you should show any signs of regaining your memories." He said, "So have you?"

"Yes." Said Ken, sitting down heavily on the nearby supply crate.

"Did you tell him?"

"Yes." Ken looked at the ground. He felt silly now for ever trusting Sidious now; the beauty of hindsight – but then what choice had he had? He had had no reason not to trust him; he had accepted the stability the man had offered him when he needed him the most. In return, he had been used, turned into an unfeeling killer, and then been disposed of – or attempted to be disposed of anyway – as soon as he thought of doing differently.

It was all too much; the sense of loss and betrayal over whelmed him. Mixed in with the ice cold rain that ran down his cheeks, he felt a couple of hot salty tears.

Dimly he was aware that Jango was speaking again, dragging his mental capacity back up to interpreting words, he was in time to hear… "I did some research while I was here – I had found some evidence as to who you where while you where at the Jedi Temple. I was going to tell you when you returned from there… but ah, you know as well as I do what happened…" Ken flinched at the unintentional jibe; he had ostracized his true friend for a man most unworthy of his trust.

Jango continued, "I did some additional research while I was here. Specifically a biometric facial scan onto the republic database." He reached under his chest plate and pulled out a holodisk and handed it to Ken. The same type, Ken realised dimly, as the one Jango had given him regarding Qui-Gon Jinn.

With a flick of his thumb, he activated the image and was greeted by a hologram of himself. His likeness had shorter hair, only a couple of centimetres long, and a long, thin braid that ran down behind his right ear.

Like with Qui-Gon Jinn, the name was written across the top. _'Obi-Wan Kenobi'._

"Your real name is Obi-Wan Kenobi." Said Jango unnecessarily. "You where a Jedi Padawan, as Sidious told you. But according to the official report, you didn't go _missing_ during one of your missions as Sidious said. He… _You_ where killed during a dual with what was/is believed to be a Sith Lord. You fell from a high maintenance walkway in the power generator room of Theed palace, and where presumed to have been killed by the fall. Your body was never found, but it was considered likely that you could have landed or skidded into the corrosive waste that was at the bottom of the room and dissolved.

Ken, or Obi-Wan or whoever he was supposed to be – he wasn't quite sure at the moment – laughed grimly. "Oh Sidious _is_ imaginative isn't he? My real name backwards, and _presumed dead_ becomes _abandoned_." He stood up and began pacing across the ground which was about a centimetre under water. The rain only serving to deepen the puddles. "I should _never_ have trusted him. You know what the first thing I heard him say was? The first thing I can ever remember? Was him saying _'Hold your fire.' _As if it was some great annoyance, he was planning to shoot me before I said I couldn't remember anything. Even then he didn't care; it was how much he could get from me."

"You didn't know better than to trust him." Said Jango. "You had no memories or anything else on which to base an opinion."

"Well I should have!" burst out Ken, "I should have known better, used my 'special powers' as Sidious calls them, or something!"

"I'm sorry Ken." Said Jango, "I truly am. But you're just going to have to make the best of it."

For a long time Ken said nothing, his thinking deep in himself, could he go on, knowing what he now knew? All along, Sidious had claimed to have a grand scheme in place for the use of Ken's powers, and that the ultimate good gained from that scheme would out way any bad done in the short term, but now that that Sidious had been proven to be false, and his hatred for the Jedi had been alleviated by Jango's findings, did he have anything to actually live for? Was there a point to _making the best of it_? Or should he just allow the Jedi to capture him? Prosecute him, and send him to prison?

He was broken out of his stupor by a long lone blast of a klaxon over the noise of the storm, followed by an announcement in both Huttese, and in Basic. "Attention, Jedi have entered the space port! repeat, Jedi have entered the spaceport, we cannot be held responsible for any damage or injury." This message which had been played in the major spaceports of Nar Shaddaa for over six-hundred years, and was meant to serve as a warning to the less scrupulous people of the planet – in other words, just about everyone – of the approaching potential threat.

To Ken/Obi-Wan it gave a different message, it was a message signalling the end of an era, it signalled the fact that the choice had been taken out of his hands, that he was too late to escape now.

Destiny was at hand.

"Jedi!" hissed Jango. "They'll be after _you_!"

"I know." Said Ken/Obi-Wan in an almost dream like voice, "I had already sensed them."

"Come on then, get on bord." Said Jango, pointing at his ship. "We still have just enough time to escape." He turned into the rain and started toward the ship.

His advance was stopped with a single word: "No."

Ken smiled sadly at Jango as he turned around, an incredulous look on his face. "I am finished Jango." He said as a way of explanation. "I'm not Obi-Wan Kenobi, I may have been once, but I'm not now." He said forestalling any argument. "And I will _not_ continue to be Ken Ibonek, it isn't who I am, it isn't who I _want_ to be.

"I am no one. And as such nobody cares."

"_I_ care." Said Jango, "Ken… no Obi-Wan… no Ken. Ken you are _my_ friend and I cannot allow you to go into battle against multiple Jedi…"

"Three." Interrupted Ken.

"Against three Jedi," agreed Jango, "Those are impossible odds even for you."

Ken smiled tightly, "You are my one and _only_ friend I have left Jango, which is why I must do this. Consider my sacrifice as my repentance for the horrible things I've done. And consider it my thankyou to you for opening my eyes, and for everything else." He looked at the entrance onto the pocking platform, he could feel the Jedi just a few hundred metres away – and approaching rapidly. "Go now!" he cried "If I do survive, you might run into me performing magic shows in a parlour house somewhere."

"I think you would be destined for things grater that that." Said Jango with a small smile of his own. Then more seriously he said. "I don't like this, but I don't suppose I have much say in the matter, do I?" It was a rhetorical question. "Promise me Ken, if we do meet again, if we meet on opposite sides, Promise me you will go all out against me – if you fight for what you believe in."

"Somehow I don't think that I _will_ survive." Said Ken, lightly despite the situation.

"Promise me!" insisted Jango urgently.

"I'll promise you anything as long as you get out of here – the Jedi are almost upon us."

"Ken!"

"Alright fine! I promise." Said Ken, "Now get out of here!"

Jango smiled, "Good, thank you." He said "That is the worrier's way; the Mandalorian way."

"Good bye Jango." he said, then in Mandalorian tradition, he said "Die well worrier!"

"Same to you brother!"

"Go! Now!" cried Ken urgently, "They're here!" Without looking back, Ken turned away from Jango for the last time as the bounty hunter charged back into the warmth and dry of his starship's cockpit. Sweeping his soaked hair from his face, Ken squinted through the rain toward the entrance to the platform. Behind him, the Slave 1 began its start-up procedure. Now he was ready – or as ready as he was ever going to be – to face the Jedi.

Three people burst through the door onto the landing platform: Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice, what was his name, Skywalker, who evidently hadn't been injured as badly as he had thought. The third, Ken was only mildly surprised to see, was Krayn's worker. Zora.

Turning back to the tallest one, who was flanked on either side by his companions, Ken spoke. "I've been waiting for you Qui-Gon Jinn, it seems we meet again." His voice was strong, enough to be easily heard over the rain, but it lacked none of the venom that had laced it the last time he had addressed the Jedi; he couldn't be bothered any more. "And you, young Skywalker. I must admit I didn't expect to you survive your wound. And Zora, I had a sneaky suspicion that you and I would meet again, this time with lightsabers in hand." He looked at her hair which was turning blond in the heavy rain – the reddish dye she evidently used, washing out in the downpour. "And I must say," He added, "I think blond suits you better."

* * *

"Obi-Wan, Ken. Come with us, come back to the Jedi." Pleaded Qui-Gon, he had noticed something off about the young man the moment he had set eyes on him again. He no longer carried himself with the same arrogance he had had in their last disastrous confrontation. He seemed weary, worn, it was as if he had left more than just a dead body behind him in Krayn's office – he'd left part of himself. "Please." He said again. "I know you've lost your memories, we can help you."

"I don't know why you'd care." Said Obi-Wan. Qui-Gon studied him carefully, searching for any hidden meaning behind the question, he found none. It was the first time that Qui-Gon had gotten a clear look at his former apprentice since that fateful day on Naboo. The brief glance he'd got in the temple had been with the moving lights of the two lightsabers; barely enough to confirm the identity that he already knew. Now, even with the heavy rain, he saw Obi-Wan for the first time in the light.

He was still clean shaven, but his braid was gone and his hair had grown out to six or seven centimetres long; nearly into his eyes. The rain had plastered his hair to his face, giving him a bedraggled look. "I care because you where – still are I think – a good person, _and_ you where my Padawan."

"I was your Padawan." Mocked Obi-Wan.

"You're not alone," said Qui-Gon. "I can only imagine what it could…"

Obi-Wan snorted slightly, "Do you know what it's like? To lose your memories?" he asked, Qui-Gon shook his head. Ken smiled grimly. "No, you have no clue. Imagine, you are all alone, so weak, so _scared_ that you desperately latch onto the first person who promises to help you." Qui-Gon lowered his eyes, he had never known – never would know in all probability – what Obi-Wan had been through. He could only guess, and listen to the description that Obi-Wan gave.

Obi-Wan cleared his throat and continued. "You find yourself taken in by your mysterious benefactor and every day for three, long, _year__s_ you try to remember: what was life like before? what where your friends like? What where _you_ like? And you can never get more that the slightest flicker, the odd half-feeling, nothing.

"And so in place of your actual memories, your _friend_ gives you the general facts behind your life. From this you learn much: you learn that you where a Jedi, that you where ever downtrodden and patronized. That your own Master hated you, and the first chance he got, he betrayed and tried to kill you,"

"But that's not true Obi-W…" Siri began

"Shut up, I'm talking!" interrupted Obi-Wan, he continued again, louder and more urgent. "You build your entire _life_ around dreams of revenge; you train all day _everyday_ so that you'll be good enough. You live those days hoping to _get_ that revenge and then you march strait up to the Jedi temple to enact your revenge – your self justification is that you are stealing data for your friend, but the truth is that you are hoping to run into your old master, you want to prove – to the Jedi and to you – that you're back.

"You kill five Jedi…" Qui-Gon glanced sideways at Siri to see her mouth hanging open, they hadn't told her much about the attack on the temple – other than it had happened – and that he and Obi-Wan had fought. It would no doubt come as a dreadful surprise to hear that her friend had killed five other Jedi. Ken was continuing "…And you injure another, then you return to your transport to have your only other friend tell you that your first friend had lied and cheated, that they are merely using you; but you don't believe them and so you attack them." Qui-Gon shuddered, Obi-Wan had fallen a long way if he attacked so called friends.

"Your original friend tells you not to worry about it, and so you go on another mission he sends you on. But you are betrayed. Your friend secretly contacts your employer and orders them to kill you. You are shot at, captured and barely manage to escape. But you learn the truth about your friend; you find that your whole _life_ has been a lie!" Obi-Wan glared critically at the three of them. "So you'll have to forgive me for not trusting _anyone__!_"

Qui-Gon let the story slowly filter through his mind, poor Obi-Wan; the last three years seemed to have been nothing but an all consuming desire for revenge. Such thoughts weren't healthy, for anyone.

"But you where a _Jedi!_" said Anakin incredulously "You should've been able to _sense_ that you where being lied to." Qui-Gon resisted the urge to slap himself. He had been so focused on Obi-Wan's story that he had missed the signs about what Anakin was going to say. he was getting too old – this sort of thing was happening more and more frequently. He should have stopped Anakin before he'd said anything, but now the damage had been done. He looked up at Obi-Wan, hoping he wouldn't be too upset.

Unfortunately Obi-Wan was less than impressed.

With an angry half-step forward, Obi-Wan flicked his wrist out and sent a fork of brilliant blue lightning at the three of them, Qui-Gon winced as the lightning arched toward them, but then at the last moment Anakin suddenly appeared in front of him and took the blast of lightning to his chest. With a cry the Padawan was blasted back and skidded across the floor. Obi-Wan's next words brought him back to the situation at hand.

"So be it!" he snarled, "If all you know to do is holler and tease then I think this galaxy has become too small for the two of us. Jedi." With a shrug of his shoulders he cast off his sodden robe and unhooked his lightsaber. Qui-Gon looked at his fallen apprentice sadly, "It doesn't have to be this way." He said removing his own cloak, he ignited his own lightsaber and pointed it at the ground.

"No I really think it does." Responded Obi-Wan, igniting his lightsaber in a flash of crimson. Siri's pinkish purple lightsaber burst into life a fraction of a second later to Qui-Gon's left.

"Don't do this Obi-… Ken." Said Siri "You cannot hope to beat us, not now."

"I don't have to win," said Obi-Wan raising his lightsaber over his shoulder and into an attack position. "I only have to fight." It was only at that moment that Qui-Gon noticed that the ship behind Obi-Wan was firing its engines. With a roar, the firespray class ship rose into the rain and blasted out of sight. Had Obi-Wan been protecting it? Was it an accomplice? Or was of his so called friends. Obi-Wan visibly relaxed as the ship took off, "Do your worst Jedi!" taunted Obi-Wan as he turned back to face them. Qui-Gon spared a look back through the rain at Anakin who was still a panting heap against the wall, recovering from the effects of the lighting. He would not be joining this fight.

"Your friend is gone." Pointed out Qui-Gon, "Yet you do not run?"

"The moment for running in long gone." Claimed Obi-Wan – Ken, Qui-Gon reminded himself.

"Let's finish this." Said Ken. With something akin to a war cry, He leaped forward through the rain and landed two steps away from them.

* * *

**AN: The ultimate confrontation is at hand, the next chapter will be up soon, so stay tuned. by the way I will send a sneak peak of Fallen Future II to the 100th reviewer. More of The Path of Shadows coming to your galaxy... Soon!**


	20. The Final Stand

**STARWARS: Fallen Future**

Part I: Path of Shadows

* * *

**Chapter XIX: The Final Stand**

_-"It's time to go! Death or Glory!!!."—__**Ken Ibonek**_

_-"Ouch that hurt! Master watch out!"__**—Anakin Skywalker**_

-|-

Ken/Obi-Wan whirled and slashed, Qui-Gon and Zora blocked and parried, the rain and wind lashed all three of them.

It was one of the odd sort of battles where nobody was quite at there best; not that that made it any less dangerous. Ken/Obi-Wan was tired after hours of fighting, but he was determined to buy Jango as much time to get free as he could. Siri had not handled a lightsaber for years, but she had been a powerful Jedi apprentice the last time she had. And Qui-Gon was a Jedi Master who rivalled both of them in power, but he was marred by both his concern for his current apprentice; and by his reluctance to actually hurt Obi-Wan.

Ken/Obi-Wan swung at Siri's waist. Which she blocked vertically with her blade running from her shoulder, down to her waist. Qui-Gon swung to his left across Siri at Ken/Obi-Wan's knee, Obi-Wan/Ken dropped his hands to deflect it before delivering a kick to Siri's chest, which sent her tumbling backwards. Ken/Obi-Wan struck a flurry of blows at Qui-Gon: high vertical, waist high right, left and right again before pirouetting into a slash at his knee. Qui-Gon blocked them all.

Ken/Obi-Wan brought his blade into a lock with Qui-Gon's, straining with all his might against the taller man. "Let me help you Obi-Wan, I can set you free." Claimed Qui-Gon over their sparking blades.

"My freedom was forfeit long ago." Growled Ken/Obi-Wan in response. He leaped back from the lock causing Qui-Gon to loose his balance, but he was prevented from making a follow up strike by loosing his own grounding on the wet and slippery floor.

He didn't get another chance as Siri leaped back into the fray, striking high at Obi-Wan's head.

Obi-Wan rolled backwards out of the way and sprang to his feet, whirling around to block both Qui-Gon _and_ Siri as they both came at him at the same time from opposite sides with horizontal attacks. With a flip over and between them he swept his blade around at head hight, forcing them to both leap out of the way.

Qui-Gon sent a strong Force Push at Obi-Wan, sending him sailing into a pile of crates, which knocked them everywhere. Siri leaped after Obi-Wan, but not before the lost apprentice could throw one of the large crates at her with the Force, forcing her to dive out of the way. The crate struck the ground several metres behind her and exploded in a fireball. That still didn't give him much reprieve, Siri was on to him in a furry of blows, none of them deadly, but most of them would be more than enough to do serious damage. Obi-Wan/Ken struggled to ward off the ferocious attack.

"Please, don't _do_ this Obi-Wan." Begged Siri, "You where my best friend, I _lo…_"

With a snap kick to Siri's stomach, Obi-Wan/Ken broke away from the attack. Quickly gathering his focus again, he sprang forward with an over head strike at Siri's shoulder, forcing _her_ back. With a flick of his wrist, Ken/Obi-Wan sent an unbalanced Zora sloshing across the wet ground with a Force push.

Qui-Gon sprang forward at Obi-Wan/Ken, but he was thrown onto his back when Ken/Obi-Wan greeted him with a harsh kick to the knee – depositing him onto the ground directly below the younger man's blade.

Obi-Wan/Ken raised his lightsaber above his head with the blade pointing down, ready to plunge it through Qui-Gon's chest. And he hesitated. Then, the next moment he was jumping three metres into the air when, with a cry of his own, Anakin – fried nerves and all – joined the fight with a cork-screwing leap at Obi-Wan/Ken's back. Barely missing skewering the turned Jedi.

Ken/Obi-Wan landed and immediately had to block a blow from behind, as Siri swung at his right shoulder. He swung into a back-flip over Siri's head and landed facing the three Jedi atop one of the remaining large crates.

* * *

Obi-Wan/Ken desperately panted for breath. His best just wasn't good enough. His opponents here weren't Jedi taken by surprise in the middle of the night. Nor where they hired muscle with blasters – how ever efficient.

These where fully trained Jedi knights, as fresh as it was possible to be under the circumstances and he just wasn't strong enough.

And they knew it.

It of course, also didn't help that he had been fighting for several hours previously.

"Stop this Obi-Wan!" called Jinn "You don't have to destroy yourself!"

"No! This ends here!" cried Ken/Obi-Wan, he would not give himself up to the Jedi to be sent to prison. With a quick flip he jumped off his crate, and ran at the three Jedi. Skywalker was to the left, Jinn raised his lightsaber into a defensive guard in the centre, and Zora to the right. Skywalker tried an overhead strike, simple but deadly. Ken/Obiwan smashed aside the Boy's attack, but he was unable to follow through because he had to turn to meet an attack from Zora on the other side, he followed up with a parry to an overhead strike from Jinn.

Reaching behind him, he grabbed one of the large crates through the Force, intending to hurl it at one of the Jedi. He neatly turned a strike from Zora into the path of a strike from Jinn – rather cleverly he had to say – effectively stopping both attacks. Then he turned to face Skywalker; a second too late.

He turned just in time to see the boy's lightsaber plunge through his stomach.

Pain unlike any other he had ever felt ripped through him. A sharp pain that seemed to burn and freeze and the same time.

'_Blast! I think I under estimated him. Oh the bitter, _bitter_ irony.'_ He thought with a mental groan. In what felt like slow motion he fell to his knees, starring up past a bright pulsating green bar to a face frozen in horror – no doubt he was the first person to fall by the boy's hand. His own weapon rolled to the ground uselessly; deactivating as it hit the ground.

It was only at this moment, with Skywalker finally shutting off his lightsaber that Ken/Obi-Wan remembered the tiny little issue of the large crate suspended somewhere behind him by nothing more than the power of his concentration…

Too late. It slipped through his proverbial grasp and fell ground-wards. Dimly he was aware that Jinn was shouting something, and somewhere in his mind he also registered as the boy was blasted clear by a force push. But the main thing that occurred to him was the source of their panic; all of the crates on the landing platform where full of fuel cells – which meant that his career was about to come to a very final and explosive end…

With a terrific fire ball and an equally impressive accompanying bang, the crate full of explosives hit the ground a metre or so behind him and detonated. The concussion from the blast jolted him roughly forward to land awkwardly on the ground. Dimly he was aware of people shouting as he lay groaning on the ground, his body stinging all over from burns and shrapnel injuries, as well as the overwhelming pain from the lightsaber wound in his gut. Dimly he was aware of a pair of strong arms cradling him. "Obi-Wan? Obi-Wan, are you alright?" a voice seemed to say.

But Obi-Wan's thoughts where somewhere quite different; _'Now I know how Cerasi felt,' _a part of his mind told him. But that tripped him up – who was Cerasi? _'Don't you remember?'_ That same part of his mind told him, _'She was your best friend on Melida/Daan.'_ And with that thought, suddenly a flood of memories overtook him – everything came rushing back.

Being a Jedi Padawan; his long crusade to get a master; Qui-Gon Jinn finally accepting him on Bandomeer, a few days before the opportunity was lost forever; the fiasco on Melida/Daan; his many trials of apprenticeship; his falling in love with Siri, but being forced to deny their feeling because of the Jedi Code. All of these images flashed through his head in a moment, and, for the first time in three years, he was Obi-Wan Kenobi.

He struggled to open and focus his bleary eyes, the problem with being Obi-Wan again, was that he felt like he was someone else as well. Images whirled around his head and although he knew they where all memories of things that he had experienced, he couldn't work out when or where they had happened. His vision slid into focus to reveal he was looking up at the cloudy skies, still pouring with rain. Above him, blocking the rain from falling directly onto his face, where the features of the face of a man he knew probably better than his own.

"Master?" he choked out.

"I'm here Obi-Wan." Replied Qui-Gon with a small smile.

"I don't feel so good." Commented Obi-Wan, trying to inject what Qui-Gon phrased 'his trademark' humour into the situation. In truth he felt downright awful. He was losing his grip on consciousness, and fast.

"You'll be alright Obi-Wan." Called Qui-Gon desperately as he slumped further into his arms. "_Everything_ is going to be alright."

Obi-Wan smiled weakly back up at his master. "I've had… such a bad dream, master…" he said as darkness and oblivion swept up to take him, "Such… such a bad dream…"

_**TO BE CONCLUDED?

* * *

**_**AN: Aren't I mean? Leaving it there? So is Obi-Wan dead? Will he survive long enough to tell Qui-Gon and Siri everything? Find out when I could be bothered to post next! Mwah ha ha ha ha! By the way, reviews might help speed me up. Hint, hint. More of the Path of Shadows (Or what's left of it anyway) coming to your galaxy… soon!**

**PS: I meant to have that posted last night, but the ****Fan ****fiction . net wouldn't let me... grr, stupid server.  
**


	21. The Last Post

**STARWARS: Fallen Future**

Part I: Path of Shadows

* * *

**Chapter XX:The Last Post**

_-"Did the band play the last post in chorus? Did the pipes play the Flowers of the Forrest?"_

—**Excerpt from a Republic Anti-war song.**

-|-

Would he make it?

That was the question that had decided to bounce continuously through Qui-Gon's head. The four of them – Siri, Anakin, himself and Obi-Wan – had arrived back at the Jedi Temple a few hours ago and Obi-Wan had been rushed to the intensive care unit in the healers ward – where he had remained ever since; no word had yet come out.

Qui-Gon sighed in frustration. He couldn't let this happen! He couldn't find Obi-Wan again after all this time only to lose him again! Then there was also his relationship with his current apprentice to consider.

Anakin had so far been very good about this whole affair; but his patience would only last so long and Qui-Gon had to be giving him the right amount of time too; which would of course then put pressure on Obi-Wan – assuming he survived – since he probably would need a lot of time to get over what he done – which then assumed that he really had recovered his memories as it had appeared on Nar Shaddaa.

Qui-Gon groaned and buried his face in his hands. _'Ack, my brain hurts.'_ He grumbled.

"I'm sorry Master." Anakin's voice startled him; he had been so focused on his musings that he had completely missed his apprentice approaching.

"Sorry for what?" asked Qui-Gon in confusion. He looked his Padawan up and down, the healers of course had been furious with him running off to go with Qui-Gon and they had confined him to the healer's ward for the foreseeable future. That didn't stop him from walking up and down between the various waiting rooms of the area though.

"About Obi-Wan." Said Anakin bleakly, "I wasn't trying to hurt him, I just… and then…"

'_Oh, so that's what this is about.' _Qui-Gon caught on, "It's not your fault." He assured his apprentice soothingly. "You did what you had to. Whether I like to admit it or not, he _was_ a threat to our safety." Qui-Gon sighed, "Who knows, it might turn out better this way anyway, the wound seemed to help open a pathway to his memories."

"He called you Master." Commented Anakin

"Yes." Nodded Qui-Gon, "But it was more the _way_ he said it. Rather than what he said."

The two of them sat in silence again; everything was silent except the distant rhythmic beeping of various monitors in patient's rooms down the corridor.

"Master?" asked Anakin after a time, "What will happen if he doesn't survive?"

"He will be given another funeral – a proper one this time – and then I suppose..." Qui-Gon paused uncertainly.

"And then I suppose things will go back to the way they where." He said at last.

"And if he does live?"

"Then things will change." Said Qui-Gon simply. "Not for the worst I should think." He added, remembering Anakin's concerns on the way to Nar Shaddaa. "I think you'd actually like Obi-Wan when he's himself – he's got a sense of humour even worse than yours." He finished with a smile.

"Ha, ha, Master, very funny." Said Anakin crossing his arms and pouting, then he frowned; "He didn't seem to particularly like me before." He commented.

It took a moment for Qui-Gon to work out what Anakin meant by '_before'_. Until it clicked he was talking about three years ago. "Don't get him wrong." He said, "It was nothing personal. It was more that he was upset with me rather than you – in case you hadn't noticed; it's not exactly common practice to bring nine year-old boys back to then temple for training."

"I had noticed." Agreed Anakin dryly.

"And to be fair, I did have a patent for finding people that to him served no real purpose in the grand scheme of things."

"Like me." Commented Anakin, unperturbed.

"Well, yes." Said Qui-Gon uncomfortably, "But even then he appreciated you better I think, because he could see the reason behind it, your midichlorian count, he didn't like you being so old – much like the council it worried him." He sighed, "'Pathetic life forms' he termed some of the rest of them. But then Obi-Wan never _did_ really understand the workings of the _Living Force_."

"What exactly is the _L__iving_ Force, Master?" asked Anakin, "You often talk about it, but you've never really explained how it works."

Qui-Gon studied his apprentice closely. Anakin was not usually the philosophic type, he was usually – as far as things like the Force was concerned at any rate – content to just accept that it _did_ work; rather than _how_ it worked. Hence he suspected that Anakin was more trying to keep his mind off Obi-Wan's condition rather than any real thirst for knowledge. Nevertheless he was touched.

"You must understand." He began slowly, "That much like a good portion of quantum physics, much of this is just theory – it hasn't been fully proved or disproved. However, I personally believe that it _is_ in fact, true.

"The council and most of the rest of the rest of the Jedi Order like to think of the Force as a simple energy field which encompasses most of the galaxy."

"Are you saying it's not?" asked Anakin in confusion.

"Not at all." Said Qui-Gon awkwardly; he hated having to explain thing like this; he wasn't really a philosopher either, "It is that, but seeing it as _just_ that is – in my opinion – an over generalisation. Like looking at a datapad; as a whole we can use it to do tasks and see beautiful things," here Qui-Gon paused to make sure that Anakin was still following him, at the boy's nod he continued. "Now this datapad can show us things far away, things in the distant past, or sometimes even the far future; this is what we refer to as the _Unifying_ Force."

"What gives us visions." Stated Anakin.

"Exactly. However if we take a closer look at this Datapad – down to the individual components, or even closer – down to the different _atoms,_ We can see the tiny electronic pulses that actually makes the whole thing work. This vast and complex matrix is something that takes a life time to interpret and understand; most Jedi have little patience with it and prefer to stay with grander view; the Unifying Force.

"But if you _can_ interpret it to a degree – which I'd like to think that I can – you can see the little pieces that make up the greater picture. As a result – or perhaps as part of the cause – it's easier to see how certain people or events affect the overall outcome. Hence my habit of picking up Pathetic life forms, or 'strays' as _you_ call them.

"Much as I'd like to think that I'm doing it purely out of the goodness of my own heart, nine times out of ten they actually serve a purpose at some point."

"Even me?"

"Even you." Nodded Qui-Gon heavily.

"Master?" said Anakin hesitantly "Would you have freed me if I hadn't had such a high midichlorian total?"

"If you hadn't, like as not the Force would never have led me to Watto's shop, and then I never would have met you." Said Qui-Gon skirting the question. He wasn't even sure if he could honestly answer _himself_ on that question. He sunk his head in contemplation, "The problem with the Living Force," he said getting back on topic, "Is that sometimes one can get so caught up in the pieces of the puzzle that you forget the bigger picture.

"I did that on Naboo. I was so caught up in the then and there that I missed the warnings the Force gave of the Sith. And I dismissed Obi-Wan's feelings of the same as mere anxiety when he felt them." Qui-Gon sighed, "I have often wondered, over the last three years, what would have happened if I had sensed the Sith's involvement before our clash on Tatooine; whether or not that would have changed anything."

"You might not have found me _then,_ either." Said Anakin brightly, relating to his earlier comment.

Qui-Gon laughed shortly, "You're far too cheeky for your own good, Padawan." He said, "And _certainly_ too cheeky for mine." He smiled at Anakin, "No, I think the denizens of Tatooine would have calling for Jedi help to remove a certain cheeky boy with humour even dryer than the planet before long." Said Qui-Gon thoughtfully, both of them chuckled.

The moment was broken though, by the door swishing open to a stony faced healer. Qui-Gon gripped the arms of his chair tightly in anticipation of what she would say. "Kenobi would like to see you Master Jinn." She said.

"He's awake?" asked Qui-Gon in mild surprise.

"Yes, for the time being." Replied the healer – Minn – he was pretty sure her name was.

"How is he? Will he survive?" asked Qui-Gon springing to his feet.

"We don't know." She replied. "He is responding well to treatment, but it's a long way to pull and we're not there yet."

"What exactly is wrong with him?" Qui-Gon demanded.

Minn sighed, "He is bleeding internally; probably from the explosion. He needs a full Bacta immersion as soon as possible if he's going to survive, but we cannot put him in a tank until his other wounds – which include a concussion – are stabilized."

Qui-Gon nodded bleakly, the reality of the situation sinking in. Obi-Wan would likely die. Silently he followed the healer into one of the intensive care rooms. Obi-Wan lay on the bed with his eyes open, staring at the ceiling. His face was cut and scratched from the shrapnel of the explosion.

"I'll give you a few minutes." Whispered the healer, "But don't upset him whatever you do, the last thing his needs at the moment is mental stress as well as physical."

With a short nod Qui-Gon stepped towards the bed. Obi-Wan looked over at him and smiled slightly. "Did someone get the name of the leader of that Bantha heard?" He asked, then getting no response he asked instead, "What's with the long face Master? You look like your best friends just died."

Qui-Gon didn't smile at either of the jokes, how could Obi-Wan jest at a time like this? Obi-Wan's forced smile faded. "It really happened didn't it? I was really Ken Ibonek wasn't I?" he asked.

Qui-Gon felt himself nod, for some reason he couldn't speak. Obi-Wan's face fell further. "I tried to convince myself that it was just a dream – a vision of some sort even." He sighed, looking away, "But I could never deny the truth. I really did kill all those people, those Jedi."

"You weren't yourself." Defended Qui-Gon, finding his voice at last.

Obi-Wan looked up at him in surprise, but then immediately looked back down again, "I still did it." He said grimly, "Now I've started to think perhaps it would be better if I die…"

"Don't say that!" thundered Qui-Gon. "You don't know what it was like the _last_ time you died. Siri, Bant, Garen, Reeft… me. We missed you!"

"You couldn't possibly miss me now." Croaked Obi-Wan. "I killed five Jedi; I attacked _you_ for Force sake and I almost killed your Padawan, I killed dozens of people just because they where in the way." He was getting agitated now. He'd sat up in his stretcher and his eye where wild, a quickened beeping signalled a raised heart rate. "I even killed a room full of defenceless _slaves_ because they where between me and a man I wanted to _kill!_"

Obi-Wan's heart rate shot up to dangerous levels, an alarm went off as the younger man started to convulse. Qui-Gon sprang to his feet and tried to calm him even as three or four healers burst into the room to work on the traumatized patient. A fifth healer ushered Qui-Gon out. "I'm sorry, Qui-Gon." Said the healer – An-Paj, "But it would be better if you left for a while."

Qui-Gon nodded briefly and walked away.

* * *

An hour or two later found Qui-Gon walking through the Room of a Thousand Fountains, staring bleakly at the ground. He hoped beyond hope that Obi-Wan would survive. Despite what he'd told Anakin, he doubted his ability to move on if old Padawan died again. It had taken him three years to get over his 'death' the last time, and now he had discovered that beyond all possibility his former Padawan was alive, but he had seemingly turned to the dark side, that he had somehow lost his memories. If he died now having just got them back… he wasn't sure if he could stand it.

"Hmm, worried you are." Said a gravely voice from behind him. Qui-Gon turned back to see the head of the Jedi Council standing behind him, leaning heavily on his stick. _'How does he do that?'_ he mentally grumbled.

"Yes." He sighed.

"Afraid to lose your old Padawan you are, Qui-Gon." Stated Yoda.

"Yes." Replied Qui-Gon, sitting down heavily on the side of the path. Yoda contemplated him for a moment before he too sat down. Sitting cross legged across the path from him, Yoda eyed Qui-Gon patiently, waiting for him to speak.

"I don't think I can go through it again, Master!" blurted out Qui-Gon at last. "After he 'died' last time it took me years to get over it. Now with his returning from the dead, and then the whole darkness issue… I… I just don't think I can take it again." He hung his head.

Impossibly, Yoda grinned. "Great faith I have in young Obi-Wan's recovery." He said cheerfully "Stubborn he is – like his master."

"But you haven't talked with him!" cried Qui-Gon, "He told me he was beginning to wish that he'd die…"

"Yes, Yes." Nodded Yoda, he rested his hand over his heart. "Great pain he is in, terrible pain. Killed many people he has, hang over him for the rest of his life it will." Yoda looked up at Qui-Gon's eyes. "Visited the healers ward, I just have. Agreed young Obi-Wan did, that too easy death would be. Submitted he has, to the council's decision about him."

"And just what _is_ this decision that the council has made?" asked Qui-Gon with irritation. As far as he was aware, none of the people involved with the mission to Nar Shaddaa had been consulted on what had happened with Ken Ibonek's final stand. And how could they have arrived at a decision without that?

"Nothing yet has been decided." Said Yoda placatingly, perhaps reading off his emotions. "Interviews we must yet have with all concerned in the matter. Wait until Obi-Wan has recovered a bit, we must."

Qui-Gon looked at Yoda, wondering if he should ask the ancient master a question that had been kicking around his head for a while. Finally deciding to, he asked, "Master Yoda, do you _really_ think that if you start down the dark path you're lost for ever. I mean I know that Xanatos never did come back, but surely some…"

"Hmm, over reacted perhaps I did." Conceded Yoda, "But not readily does the Dark Side give up those it takes. Relied on it cannot be."

Qui-Gon nodded mutely. "The question is, can it give up on the half of Obi-Wan's soul that it's so desperately tried to claim."

"Tell that, only time will." Said Yoda.

* * *

Obi-Wan lay in his cot in the Med-Ward, thoroughly hating his predicament. He hated all the needles and tubes that where hanging out of him; he hated the constant pain from all of his wounds, but most of all he hated himself. He who had attacked his friends and mercilessly slaughtered his enemies. Who had killed over five hundred – relatively innocent – beings, he who the Jedi where being entirely to trusting of; the door was locked, but he himself wasn't even chained up.

The Jedi. Obi-Wan could no longer include himself as one. The atrocities he had committed where too great to stain their light with his presence. No, he was no longer worthy of being one of them, the only thing that was still to be decided was whether he should be sent to prison, or whether he would just be exiled to live out the rest of his life with the scum in the lower levels of Coruscant.

Both options he considered to be really to good for him, he should die or be sent on a one way trip into the unknown regions for what he'd done. But the Jedi would never do that; they didn't believe in it.

He had briefly entertained the idea of willing himself to die, as he had informed Qui-Gon, but Yoda had visited soon after and pointed out that killing ones self was not the honourable thing to do; it was the ultimate in selfishness – and as _he_ had pointed out to _himself_, he had had enough selfishness to last him a life time. And so he had instead agreed to go along with the council's decision… once that was made.

That assumed of course, that he survived long enough for the decision to be made. What ever else he may consider himself, he wasn't stupid, and though no one had told him, the healers running around constantly doing tests had alerted him to the fact that something was wrong. A quick self scan had shown that he was bleeding internally – not much but steadily, it may take a few days, but unless he was given Bacta treatment soon, he would die.

He was broken out of his thoughts by the door unlocking and opening. He stared resolutely at his lap – he wasn't worthy of looking at a Jedi, not even their feet. "Oh Obi, what have you done to yourself?" asked a raspy voice.

"Bant." He choked, feeling tears stinging in the corners of his eyes, his wired clash of personalities assuring him that he'd missed her the last three years – which was impossible since he hadn't even known who she was for the better part of the last three years.

He felt her webbed hand touch his shoulder; he flinched away with a cry "Don't touch me!" Bant withdrew her hand with a burst of hurt feelings, instantly squashed. "I'm sorry." He whispered. "I'm already tainting you and the rest of the Jedi with my presence, don't make it worse for yourself by touching me."

Surely that would make her understand that he was as dangerous – more dangerous in fact – than he had claimed Anakin – wrongly it seemed – would be on the way back to Naboo. But to hie surprise and indignation, Bant just laughed. "Obi-Wan Kenobi, you are without a doubt the thickest man in the galaxy." She smiled "And you give yourself far too much credit – the only thing you're tainting is yourself with that attitude."

Obi-Wan gaped at her. "How can you look at me and speak to me as though the last couple of weeks – the last _three_ years – never happened?" he asked in disbelief. "I'm a monster."

Bant patted him on the knee and smiled again, infuriatingly. "Then we have three years that need to making up." She said completely ignoring the last part. "And in that case we hardly need you being all difficult. We were all sad when you died before; I'm not going to be sad now."

Trying to ignore how wired the statement sounded, he replied with, "It would have been better if I _had_ died, then at least the Order would only be down one Jedi instead of six."

"Oh, do explain to me how that figures." Said Bant. Crossing to the foot of his bed and examining the monitors displaying heart rate and breath rate and goodness knows what else. "I can't see any way how a universe with a dead Obi-Wan would be a better place."

"I… I killed five Jedi." Said Obi-Wan, finding the admission startlingly hard given that Bant probably knew it anyway. "I wouldn't have been able to do that if I had been safely dead."

"Well then you'd better work extra hard to make up." Said Bant simply, still studying the monitors.

"That assumes I even survive." Muttered Obi-Wan.

"You'd better." Said Bant looking at him with a light pout. "Because _I'll_ kill you if you don't." there was no answer for that, so Obi-Wan said nothing. Bant finished reading the monitors by his bed and then turned back to face him, a smile on her face. "You're going to find it hard not to survive now. I've checked your stats, your concussion has cleared up and your heart rate has dropped back to normal levels; you're cleared for the Bacta emersion."

* * *

**AN: just kidding about the TBC, I'm not quite finished with this story yet. A big thankyou to everyone who reviewed, this story now has 110 reveiws! And an extra thankyou to** **general-joseph-dickson who was my 100****th**** reviewer! I hope everyone didn't mind or disagree with my Living Force description. I think there will probably be 1 more chapter, possibly 2 and then the epilogue. So we're almost done. About the thing with worrier, uh… (sweatdrops) like I said I'll fix it up at some point, promise. Siri will be back in the next chapter so watch out for that (if you where wondering where she was for this chapter, the official reason is that she was being debriefed by Adi, Mace and Yoda ;-) ). Obi-Wan's out of the woods as far as health is concerned now that he's going in the Bacta tank, but what happens to him apart from that remains to be seen. If you can think of any loose ends that need tidying up, put them in your review and I'll stick it in somewhere in the next chapter – if I don't I assure you there's a good reason for it. The quote for the start of the Chapter is from a real world antiwar song 'The Green Fields of France (No man's land)' by Eric Bogle. And as you can probably guess the name of the chapter is to completely throw you off (as well as being ironic since I was leading you to believe that this would be the last post). The last of 'The Path of Shadows' coming to your galaxy… soon!**


	22. Future Rising

**STARWARS: Fallen future**

Part I: Path of Shadows

* * *

**Chapter XXI: Future Rising  
**

_-"To a decision we _must_ come, do what do we, with young Obi-Wan Kenobi?"_

—**Yoda to the Jedi High Council**

-|-

Obi-Wan lay in his cot, for once without tubes and needles stuck into him. He had just been removed from the Bacta Tank after a four day spell. His eye length hair was still damp and insisted on getting in his eyes, for the first time in weeks – perhaps in months, given his ruthless training schedule – Obi-Wan felt fully refreshed.

He could see his reflection in a mirror to his side, his face still showed some faint scars, and a single long angry line across his cheek that he would probably carry for ever. A quick scan through the Force showed that the internal bleeding had stopped, and the fact that his body no longer felt like it was on fire helped a great deal in lifting his spirits.

All in all, he supposed that the Bacta treatment had gone rather well. The thing that bothered him was that the next day would be when the council would be making their decision on his future. It wasn't that the council could really do much more to him than he had already experienced or felt – except maybe strip him of the Force – but nevertheless, the fact that tomorrow afternoon he would discover what his destiny held in store for him, unnerved him.

Why he should be bothered by this he didn't really know; and he was never destined to find out, for at that moment, into the room walked about the _last_ person that Obi-Wan expected to visit him. "Siri?" he said in surprise. He tried to sit up, but he was met with such an incredible fit of dizziness that he decided that perhaps he was better off remaining down.

"Well hello Kenobi." Said Siri as she came over to sit in the chair next to him. "I have to say you've looked considerably better in your career."

"What are _you_ doing here?" blurted out Obi-Wan.

"Oh hi. And it's nice to see you too." Huffed Siri. "Am I not even allowed to say hello?"

Cursing himself for the lack of the tact that he'd continued to exhibit over the last week, he tried to get his meaning over properly by trying again – with only marginally better success. "But I hurt you!" he protested. "I attacked you with Force lightning, then that's not to mention the fight…"

"It's alright." Said Siri more reserved, "You didn't mean to."

"But I _did_ mean to!" cried Obi-Wan almost leaping up in bed. "And I didn't even care! You where just some sort of annoyance that had gotten in the way; I could have _killed_ you!"

"No Obi-Wan." Siri shook her head. "_You_ didn't mean to. Someone else attacked me."

That statement _really_ bamboozled Obi-Wan, of course it had been him; he remembered exactly how he'd felt; _'Just one more blaster wielding nuisance out of the way – although I would have thought that _she_ would have known better.'_ After several seconds of trying and failing dismally to get the statement through his brain, he gave up and instead emitted a rather dumb sounding "Huh?!"

"_Ken Ibonek_ attacked me." Insisted Siri, "A misled young man who didn't know me as a friend, only as an obstacle to his true goal. _That_ man attacked me, he may have looked exactly like you, but he was definitely not, and never will be, Obi-Wan Kenobi."

"Maybe, but I can still see myself doing it as Ken Ibonek." Said Obi-Wan quietly, "and deep down I will always know that it was me who made the decision."

Siri let out a groan of frustration. "Honestly Kenobi!" she cried leaping to her feet and pacing around the room with her arms flapping. "You've got to be even more foolishly stubborn that your master… And I used to think that that was impossible!"

"Many still do as far as I know." Commented Obi-Wan dryly.

Siri ignored him, "I'm trying to think of an explanation that you can use to stop yourself going insane until you're ready to accept what you've done, and all you want to do is shatter it with little things like technicalities." She ranted, still pacing up and flapping her arms wildly, Obi-Wan was terrified that she was going to send something flying.

"We where always told not to hide behind things, to release them instead." Whispered Obi-Wan.

Siri turned sharply at the other end of the room and met Obi-Wan eyes, "I've been able to do nothing _but_ hid behind feelings for two and a half years." She said with real pain in her eyes. For the first time, Obi-Wan realised just how bad Siri's ordeal must have been; she needed healing just as much as he did.

"I'm sorry," said Obi-Wan, "I forgot that you've been through a lot worse than me. But please, you have to understand that I must be held accountable for me actions. And how can I be if I cannot even admit responsibility?" he looked away slightly, "And I still don't know how you can even bare to look at me after what I did to…" But Obi-Wan never got finish. Siri crossed the room in two strides and kissed him on the mouth.

It shut him up instantly.

Obi-Wan froze in shock, the two of them had made a pact; they had _promised_ never to mention, never to _think_ about that time nine years ago. They had been found out by Qui-Gon and Yoda, and they had been told to choose between their fledgling relationship and the order. Both of them had chosen the order and they had ended their relationship before it had even properly begun. But Obi-Wan had never quite been able to completely banish his feelings for Siri, and it seemed that she hadn't succeeded either. Obi-Wan kissed her back and for an all too short eternity they remained locked together.

Until Siri broke off the kiss and fell weakly into the bedside chair. Both of them panted. "We shouldn't have done that." Whispered Obi-Wan breathlessly. "We… we promised never to speak of it again."

"Technically we didn't." Replied Siri shakily.

"Or think of it."

"I had to do something to shut you up." Said Siri, now blushing profusely. Obi-Wan could feel heat in his own cheeks as well.

"You never do anything in half measures do you?" he asked

"I have to make up for you." replied Siri slyly.

"Siri! This is serious." Said Obi-Wan, reaching over the edge of the bed and grabbing her arm. "You know what the repercussions of this could be."

"You're right. I was wrong to break our word." Agreed Siri heavily, "I'm sorry." If possible she slumped even further into her seat. "I'm sorry for everything. About how you deal with all of this as well. In my defence I can only say I was trying to forget _my_ experiences with Kryan."

"Bad?" asked Obi-Wan, pushing the kiss firmly into the back of his mind.

"You've no idea." Sniffed Siri, wiping her sleave across her eyes. It must have been one horrible time if it was enough to make Siri weep. He almost _never_ knew her to cry – no matter what happened. "I hated myself for what I had to do, and I hated myself more for what I couldn't do." She continued. "I would spend weeks and weeks being forced to treat beings like dirt. Worse than dirt. Most of them where guilty only of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It would happen over and over and over again until I couldn't stand it anymore. And then I'd wake up the next morning and have to put my cruel disposition back on and do it all again.

"The only saving grace was that I knew that eventually I would be helping them. So I continued. And then finally with the end in sight, I knew. I knew it would soon be over. It was only a matter of time until I'd be able to go back to the Jedi and pretend that it had all never happened."

She looked back up at him, "But now, every time I hear or think of Ken Ibonek's deeds over the last few weeks, I think of what I… what Zora did.

"To survive Krayn, I made myself a façade; Zora. I made her more than an alias. I made her a separate personality. And only in the confines of my room did I let Zora fade and Siri return.

"I didn't want the line between you and Ibonek to blur. And so I thought that if I could get you to see Ken Ibonek as a different person…"

She looked back at the floor. "I thought maybe we could both forget about the last three years. Together." She shook her head and stood up. "I'm sorry." She said as she hurried to the door.

"When I talked before about repercussions…" said Obi-Wan as Siri lay a hand on the door panel "I was talking about you, not me – I don't think I will be a Jedi by this time tomorrow."

"If you are expelled, I'll go with you." Said Siri

But Obi-Wan shook his head. "What I meant was: I expect to be in prison by tomorrow night – you'll never have to hear about Ken Ibonek – or me –again."

"You passed completely out of my life once before Obi-Wan." Whispered Siri softly, "And it was worse than I could ever have imagined." That she was talking about Naboo went without saying. With a final look, she opened the door and slipped through it. Leaving Obi-Wan alone with his thoughts. He hoped he _was_ sent to prison – he didn't deserve Siri; she would be much better off without him.

* * *

The next day, at about midday. Obi-Wan found himself standing outside the Council chambers, propped by Qui-Gon who had apparently volunteered to escort him there. Or rather _support_. Obi-Wan had found himself leaning on his former master most of the way to the council chambers, his healing and unused muscles complaining all the way.

This was it. The council had heard the reports from everyone else involved in the case. Qui-Gon, Bant, Garen, Anakin and Siri. They would take his explanation and account, then they would announce their verdict. In a few short hours, Obi-Wan suspected he would be leaving the Temple for the last time. Whether as a felon bound for prison, or as civilian exiled from the order, He didn't know.

At that moment, the doors to the Council slid open and Obi-Wan – with the assistance of his former master – limped in. Instantly he knelt on both knees in the centre of the room wit his head bowed; the proper position of humility for a Jedi in disgrace. "You may go now Qui-Gon." Obi-Wan heard Master Windu say.

After a short pause, probably for an equally short bow, he heard retreating footsteps and then the swish of the chamber door closing, leaving him alone with the council. "Do you have anything to say for yourself?" asked Master Koon at length.

"No master." Replied Obi-Wan, keeping his head bowed. "I merely wish to say I am truly sorry for what damage I caused to the order. And I will fully abide by what ever punishment the council sees fit to give me."

Had he been looking up he would have seen the councillors trading glances with each other, and some even smiling slightly, but looking down as he was, he only heard Master Windu's firm order; "Lower your shields."

As Obi-Wan obliged, he felt twelve strong sources of pressure pushing against him. Like being in a sinking room with twelve holes in it, with the water streaming through the holes and swirling around him, mercilessly tossing him around, each wave, and each patch of foam was a memory. Grabbing desperately he grabbed his most personal memories; Bandomeer, Phindar and Melida/Daan, Xanatos' attack on the temple, and his love for Siri and stuffed them down in to the deepest depths of his mind where he hoped the council would not look.

He was buffeted around, pulled into the jarring swell, flipped upside and backwards and forwards. He was drowning, drowning in a swirl of his own memories… and then suddenly, he was back reeling and gasping on the floor of the council chambers.

For several minutes there was silence except for the ragged gasping of Obi-Wan trying to catch his breath. "I apologize for such a violent invasion of your mind." Said Master Windu at last, "But we needed to make sure we got everything.

"D-don't mention it." Muttered Obi-Wan.

Brief silence rained for a time before; "We have reached a decision." Declared Master Windu, glancing around the chamber. The council's mediative state meant that verbal communications where not necessary.

"Hmm, under probation you are." Spoke Yoda "But a Jedi, you shall remain."

"What!?" exclaimed Obi-Wan in horror, raising his head and looking at the green master as if he'd gone insane. "You can't be serious!"

"Do you have a problem with our decision Kenobi?" inquired Master Windu mildly.

"Yes I do." Cried Obi-Wan. "How can you be sure that I'll never touch the Dark Side again? How can I make up for the hundreds of people that I killed? For the five _Jedi_ I killed!?"

"The fact alone that you're even asking that question suggests that you are in no hurry to embrace the Dark Side again." Said Master Windu, "Yes, it will be a struggle, perhaps more so, perhaps less so after the resent events. But no one is immune to the touch of the Dark Side. I think I can safely say that every member of this council has brushed against the Dark Side at some point."

"Perhaps make up for the deaths, you never will," stated Yoda, "But at the time, know it was wrong you did not."

"You could have no more prevented the deaths given your knowledge base at the time, than a Tuskan raider could swim." Added Ki-Adi-Mundi. "You had no training or memories to prevent your actions. Quite the opposite in fact."

Clutching at straws, Obi-Wan tried a different tack, "But who will train me? My master is already training a different Padawan, and you cannot just cut Skywalker loose, besides which, I'm twenty-eight, no one will want me…"

"Knighted, your old master recommended you to be, and agreed the Council has." Obi-Wan's mouth fell open. Again. But Yoda hadn't finished yet. "A Jedi knight you now are, but for the length of your probation, accompanied by a master you will be for all your missions."

"Surely you don't _want_ to be sent to prison." added Master Windu, "I understand your concerns young Kenobi, but you are genuinely sorry – we can all sense it. And dark times are coming; we will need all the Jedi we can get."

Obi-Wan closed his eyes and counted to ten before opening his them again, he wasn't dreaming though – the council chamber was still the same, "But…" he was cut off by Yoda.

"Young Obi-Wan. Agreed you did to abide by the council's decision." Said the ancient green master, his eyes alight with some mirth, but also a touch of sternness. "Made the decision has been – and now abide by it, you will."

"You are dismissed Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi." Said Master Windu. "May the Force be with you." With that the doors slid open. Obi-Wan stood up, his legs trembling. "Thankyou Masters." He said with the deepest bow he could manage given his injuries. "I am honoured and humbled by the faith you have shown me. I will try not to let you down." He said before he limped toward the exit of the room.

"Do or do not." Called Yoda after him, "There is no try."

* * *

In shocked silence he rode the turbolift down from the High Council Spire, he still couldn't believe it. Shaking his head he stepped – or rather _limped_ – out toward the healers ward. "How'd you go?" asked a voice from behind him.

"Garen?" cried Obi-Wan turning back to see his oldest friend walking toward him. He greeted the other Jedi with a bare hug. "Garen how are you? And how come you didn't drop by to see me?"

"Speak for yourself." Said Garen, "I've seen a good deal of _you_ – when you where in the Bacta tank, but you where always being lazy and sleeping when I dropped by. But you didn't answer my question. How did you go? I take it that you aren't going to be sent to prison since you're not walking around with binders on."

"Uh, I'm on probation." Said Obi-Wan, "Again. But they knighted me too."

"Ha! I knew it!" exclaimed Garen cuffing him lightly over the back of the head. "I knew they wouldn't kick you out! And now you're a knight also, like the rest of us."

"But I still don't see why." Stated Obi-Wan as Garen grabbed his arm and threw it over the back of his neck to help him down the hall, "I should have been locked up and had the key thrown away. And instead I've been promoted."

"You worry too much Obi-Wan." Said Garen. "Qui-Gon has repeatedly said over the last three years that you should have been knighted before Naboo. I'm sure you'll be a great Jedi Knight, and later a Master."

"Thankyou Garen." Said Obi-Wan warmly, "That means a lot to me."

"And given how well you reputedly fought against the Sith, I'm sure you'll make a brilliant swordsman, one that Soara Antana would have been proud of. Which reminds me, if my memory serves me correctly, you owe me a spar."

Obi-Wan smiled briefly before frowning. "Master Antana was one of the ones, wasn't she?" he asked "One of the ones that…"

"That you _murdered_, yes." Spoke a young, but cold voice. Obi-Wan looked a side passage to see a young girl of about twelve with golden-red hair and red/brown eyes. Her voice was cold, far _too_ cold for a Jedi initiate, and on her face was a look of absolute contempt. Never had Obi-Wan seen such a hateful expression on a fellow Jedi – not even on Bruck. It actually made him take a sharp step back. "The council and your friends may have forgiven you, but I know what you really are, you're a Sith and a murder!" the girl shouted, "You killed my master and _I_ will _never_ forgive you!" she choked, with tears running down her cheeks.

"_Initiate_ Thel-Tanis. That will do." Said Garen in a deadly calm voice that seemed to belong to stern Jedi Master rather than Obi-Wan's best friend. "It is not your place to disagree with the Council's decision. Obi-Wan is guiltless here. I will be speaking to your crèche master about this, make no mistake. Now go."

The girl seemed to be just as taken aback as Obi-Wan was at Garen's outburst. Garen's personality was such that it was always a surprise to see the more serious side of him. The girl nodded meekly and disappeared down the side passage. Obi-Wan slumped against a nearby wall, the girl was right; he was a murderer. So why did everyone keep saying he wasn't?

"Just ignore young Darra there." Started Garen "She doesn't…"

"But she was right." Broke in Obi-Wan. "I _am_ a murderer."

"You're not, and I won't hear you, or anyone else say otherwise." Said Garen as he hoicked Obi-Wan back to his feet. "C'mon, we're almost back to the healers now, let's forget about this little incident."

"I like the 'Master' voice." commented Obi-Wan as they got underway again.

"Yeah, I have to work on it for my Padawan you know." Replied Garen nonchalantly.

Obi-Wan stopped dead. "_You_ have a Padawan?" he gasped. "Why didn't you say so straight away?"

"Uh, Oops?" answered Garen.

"Oops?" repeated Obi-Wan. "You're on your way to becoming a Jedi _Master_ and all you can say is _oops_?"

Garen was spared having to think up an answer, because at that moment they walked back into Obi-Wan's room in the healers ward and came face to face with Qui-Gon, Siri, Bant, Anakin _and_ someone whom Obi-Wan hadn't seen in ages, even _before_ Naboo; Quinlan Vos. "What are you guys doing here?" asked Obi-Wan in surprise.

"We all came here to make sure you're okay." Said Siri as Obi-Wan gave each of them a hug. "And to find out how your session with the Council went of course."

"I'm… I'm okay." Said Obi-Wan, finding himself tearing up. His friends' devotion for on top of everything else was too much for his already over taxed emotional control.

"No, you're not." whispered Qui-Gon to himself thoughtfully as he watched Obi-Wan give Quinlan a bear hug, his old Padawan still hadn't recovered either mentally or physically, '_not yet.'_ "But you will be..."

[To Be Concluded]

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AN: for real this time I promise. Just the one chapter (The Epilogue) to go. I don't know I'm entirely happy with this chapter; I think the romance between Obi-Wan and Siri wasn't really done that well, And I felt that the whole chapter was rather rushed. But, oh well. I did my best, Just add it to the pile of things to fix up later. The Epilogue will be up later this evening.**


	23. Epilogue: Reflections

**STARWARS: Fallen Future**

Part I: Path of Shadows

* * *

**Epilogue: Reflections**

_-"This turn of events is unfortunate, but it may yet be turned to our advantage, you may just get your way after all."_—**Darth Sidious in a coded message to Darth Tyrannous**

-|-

In a high rise office in Coruscant, A man known as Sidious seethes, not only did Krayn fail to kill Kenobi, but he was instrumental in returning his memories! There are precious few positives about the whole affair. True he now knows exactly how much the Jedi collectively knew about the Sith, but he's taken a great risk in obtaining it. And since Kenobi had reportedly regained his memories, he was down a useful tool; now the man is a liability.

He has to see the fact that the Jedi had not already come marching down upon him means that they know nothing of his identity, his caution with Ibonek has been well justified.

There is a slim but definite possibility that the young man can be turned proper, somewhere down the track. Maybe this situation can still be used to his advantage. But until that point, he'll carry on like nothing had changed.

Instead he will call Count Dooku. The man was a good find. He is an excellent replacement for Maul who had been killed on Naboo, and will fulfil his purpose brilliantly, until he can turn either Kenobi, or young Skywalker to his will. Maybe, if he plays his cards right, he can pit them against each other and take the victor as his pupil.

But that is many years in the future. First he has a war to start. And a Separatist movement to create.

The Sith Lord Darth Sidious will not rest.

* * *

In a factory on Nar Shaddaa, a young Twi'lek named Mazie, look's up at the clock, it is finish time and she is ready to go home. _'Fate was a funny thing'_ she decides. A week ago she'd been a slave, one of the thousands working under Krayn.

But thanks to the work of the Jedi, Krayn was now dead, and the spice processing plants had been taken over by the Republic; meaning that all jobs where now regular paid places. Many of the freed slaves had decided to stay on until they could afford to buy passage off-world, Mazie and her daughter Berri among them.

They have much to be thankful for, they had narrowly missed out on being drafted into the two hundred slaves that had been forced to try to stop an intruder; none of whom had survived.

And now, for the first time in more than five years, they know hope. Thanks to the Jedi. Thanks to the Jedi they would no longer have the shadow of Krayn's men standing over them – they are free.

* * *

In a small ship somewhere south of the Rishi maze, a bounty hunter sits contemplating. Jango had stayed out of sight in the storm. He had watched the fight between the three Jedi and Ken by thermal imaging.

He had seen Ken get stabbed, and then an explosion had deadened the sensors. But it didn't matter; he knew all that he needed to.

He didn't know when he had stopped seeing Ken as an annoying charge to look after, and started seeing him as a friend, as a brother. But it had happened, and he had not found his death an easy one. Now here he sits drifting through space above a stormy planet far below.

Down below on that planet is his son. Down below on that planet is the future of his work. He is now to train his own army in combat, teach them how to think battle, how to forget pain.

And of course he will be spend more time with his 'son'. He will spend time with his son because when your number is up, your number is up. Jango hadn't let many people get close to him in his lifetime, his mentor Jaster, who had been like a second father to him, Sheeka Tull who he had been romantically involved with for a short time. And of course, some of the Mandalorians where friends.

But somehow, and Jango was blown if he knows how, Ken Ibonek had found his way into that select group as well. And his death had been a reminder of the same thing that Jaster's death had taught him. Anyone can die anywhere, any time. And he wants his son to know him more than just a figure that pops in occasionally, he will _make_ time for his son.

* * *

Siri sits alone in her new apartment. Adi had told her when she had returned that the mission under Krayn had been her trials. That she was now a Jedi Knight. A more gruelling test Siri can not imagine. But she is not thinking of that now, her thoughts are firmly on a man down in the healers ward.

She and Obi-Wan had come to an unspoken agreement that they would not mention their love – at least until they where both healed in body and soul. But after that… who knew? Their love had resurfaced again despite their best efforts to bury it.

Perhaps in the end, they will have to once again choose between them and the order. But not now, for now she will just be happy knowing that she loves Obi-Wan, and that he loves her. For the moment that will be enough – it has to be.

* * *

A Jedi Initiate sits in her small room in the temple; this initiate is Darra Thel-Tanis. Every initiate dreads that they will not be chosen as a Padawan, but Darra had decided several days ago that having your promised Master killed is even worse.

All her friends tell her that she will get another master, maybe they are right. At the moment she doesn't care. She had wanted Soara Antana to be her master. But she had been killed – scratch that – brutally _murdered_. And now the council had brought her murder back into the order. And knighted him no less!

What where they thinking!

How could they do it?

But Darra knew one thing; she will _never_ forgive Obi-Wan Kenobi. She will never look up to him, never call him Master as an initiate should to a Jedi Knight. Never, never, never. And she will do her best to make sure that the Temple never forgets the atrocities that he has committed, as long as she is around, she will make sure that the memory of Soara Antana lives on. "I will avenge you… Master." She whispers as a tear rolls down her cheek.

THE END

For Now…

* * *

Don't miss the sequel, set six months later as Obi-Wan tries to reconcile with his actions, and the continuation of his probation in…

**STAR WARS**

Fallen Future: Part II

**Probation  
**

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THE LAST AUTHORS NOTE: A big thankyou to everyone who had read and reviewed. Your encouragement has been absolutely brilliant. Thanks to you this story has gone from its meagre beginnings to now with 121 reviews and counting! Just between you, me and the gatepost this is the first story of mine that I've actually finished. So thankyou to all of you for all your motivation. I'm not going to pretend that this story is brilliant, and there are bits that, on reflexion, I could have done much better, but all in all I'm happy enough. And it is with great pleasure that I put the 'Complete' sticker on. For now at any rate. Thank you very much and good bye. ****Hwyl fawr.**


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